Beyond Justice
by SilvorMoon
Summary: When the Pro Leagues begin to grow stale, Edo searches for a new path in life. But the shift doesn't come easily: besides his changing relationship with Saiou, there's another element of his past that's about to come back to haunt him.
1. Career Choices

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Career Choices

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By: SilvorMoon

Edo sighed and put down the cards he'd been holding. For the last hour, he had been going over his most recent duel in his head, trying to figure out where it had gone wrong, and he was tired of thinking about it. Nothing was going to change the fact that he had lost. It wasn't even that he had made mistakes. His play had been as flawless as ever; the other player had simply been luckier, or more determined.

_Maybe it was Destiny,_ thought Edo wryly. _But I don't think so._

If it was true, than Destiny had turned against him. He'd been losing duels lately - not all of them, or even most of them, but enough to have him worried. And as far as he could tell, he wasn't doing anything wrong. He hadn't drastically altered his tactics, though he was constantly fine-tuning. He didn't think the new players in the League were that much superior to the ones he had faced earlier in his career. He had not slacked off at all in his training - if anything, he was working harder than ever. Something was just missing, and he was not certain what it was.

He didn't look back to see if someone was listening to him or not; even in his own home, he usually had attendants nearby waiting to cater to all his needs.

"Send for the car," he said. "There's somewhere I want to go."

"Yes, sir, right away," said the attendant. Edo nodded and put his cards back into his briefcase, and got up and left them behind. He wasn't going to need them where he was going.

Within moments, he was settled comfortably in the backseat of his private car (he'd earned his license a few months ago, but he still preferred to let someone else do the driving on long trips), watching the city scenery roll past him. It was going to be nearly night by the time he got where he wanted to go, and there was no telling what absurd hour of the morning he would get home again, but at least he knew that where he was going he would be welcome any time of day or night.

The miles passed, and Edo put on a pair of headphones and closed his eyes, letting himself doze while the city fell further and further away and the mountains rose up in front of him. He didn't rouse himself until he felt the road become sloping and twisty, and he knew he was almost there. He sat up and looked out the window with more eagerness in his expression than he would have wanted to admit to. Somewhere above him, near the top of the mountain, was a small house that was rapidly drawing nearer. It was Japanese in design, modest in its proportions but elegant in its details - the home of someone who was living simply because he chose to and not because he had to. As the car glided gently to a stop, Edo flung open the door and bounded outside.

"You go on," he told the driver. "I may be here a while. I'll call you when I need you." He left the driver some money to stay somewhere overnight if the meeting lasted that long, and sent him on his way. Satisfied that he was alone, Edo walked up to the front door of the house.

It opened before he'd even raised his hand to knock.

"Edo," said a familiar voice. "This is a pleasant surprise."

Edo smiled in spite of himself. "Hello, Saiou. Nice to see you too."

"Come inside," said Saiou, "and tell me what brings you here. There's tea waiting."

Sure enough, there was tea. It was sitting out on the living room table: one pot, two cups, already steaming invitingly. Edo's smile widened a bit, and he turned to his old friend.

"I thought you couldn't do the seeing-the-future bit anymore."

"I can't," said Saiou factually. "My eyes, however, still work just fine, and I can see a long way from the top of this mountain. I recognized your car."

Edo laughed. "See, that's why I listen to you. You're one of the last people left on Earth who knows how to think."

He wandered inside, letting himself bask in the peacefulness of Saiou's mountain home. It was very much a bachelor's apartment - furnished with minimal fripperies, but what furnishings were there were simple and elegant. Nearly every wall was lined with bookshelves, each one laden with comfortable old books with venerable leather covers and crackling pages. The air was lightly scented with incense, green tea, and the smell of old paper. Saiou had moved into this house about a year ago, after he had resigned from his position as Edo's manager. He had managed to parlay his experience and connections into a job with Industrial Illusions, working as a researcher in occult subjects. He was a natural choice, as he not only believed in them but had some previous knowledge and experience. He seemed happy enough to be here, far away from the rest of the world, pursuing his studies. Edo visited as often as his schedule would allow, and he always found it soothing.

"Shall we take our drinks out to the porch?" Saiou suggested. "Then you can tell me what's on your mind."

"Good idea," Edo agreed.

They drifted out to the back of the house, where a wide porch offered a view of the landscape below them. From their perch atop the mountain, they could still see the setting sun, but in the valley, the lights of the city were already twinkling on one by one. Saiou took a seat in one of two wooden chairs and sipped silently at his tea while he waited for Edo to make himself comfortable. This was not just a matter of settling down physically. Edo wasn't much of a one to talk about his feelings; he needed time to sort out his thoughts before he could say anything about them.

"Did you see my duel today?" he asked at length.

Saiou nodded slowly. "I saw. You played well. There were no mistakes in your strategy."

"I still lost."

"It happens, even to the best duelists."

"Well, it's been happening a lot lately," Edo muttered. "More than usual. I don't know why."

"There is always a reason for these things," said Saiou. He gazed off into the sunset, apparently considering the possibilities. "When did you begin to notice there was a problem?"

"Hm... probably about the time I lost that duel to Manjoume. I was too busy before then to notice if anything was different or not. It might have been." Edo frowned. "Maybe before that. The last duel I can remember feeling really good about was... well, weird as it sounds, it was the one I played against that Amon Garam."

"I see... Actually, that makes sense."

Edo raised an eyebrow. "Well, it doesn't make sense to me."

"The duel against Amon Garam was the one you fought to save that woman's life, if I recall correctly. Before that, you dueled to defeat the Haou's armies, and to repay your debt to Juudai. Before then, it was to avenge your father's murder. And now..."

"Now I'm dueling because I'm a duelist," said Edo, a bit defensively.

"Yes. Because it is what you are good at. Because it is what you are used to. Perhaps because it is what you enjoy. But the fact remains that you no longer have a purpose in dueling beyond the dueling itself."

"And you think that's what's causing this slump?" asked Edo. He was beginning to warm to the idea somewhat. Not that he _liked_ it, because he didn't, but he was beginning to see how it made sense.

"I offer it as a possibility."

"You're not good at definite answers," Edo complained. "All right. Suppose that's what's wrong with me. What do you suggest I do about it?"

"The way I see it," said Saiou, "you have three choices. Your first choice is, naturally, to fight to overcome this obstacle. You could do it, if you put your mind to it. I know you well enough to know that you are capable of doing anything you truly desire to do. You may have to apply yourself more than you have in the past, but given that you focus and make the effort, there is no reason why you cannot fight your way back to the top of the League."

"Nice to hear you say so," said Edo doubtfully. "What's my second choice?"

"The one I think least likely," Saiou replied. "That is, to do nothing. To continue as you are, on a slow slide towards mediocrity, and be content to be neither the best nor the worst, until you are finished with your stay in the League for good."

Edo shuddered. "_Definitely_ not. What's my third choice?"

"To stop," said Saiou simply. "Retire from the dueling scene entirely. Go out in a blaze of glory while the world still remembers you as one of the greatest duelists of all time, and then find something else to do that offers you more fulfillment."

"That's no good either," said Edo. "What am I supposed to do? Dueling has been my life almost since I was old enough to walk."

"What are you supposed to do? Anything," said Saiou. "Edo, I may no longer have my gifts, but I still have no doubts about your future. You are one of those rare and lucky individuals who literally lives a charmed life. I know it sounds like the kind of trite foolishness that they tell small schoolchildren, and usually it isn't really true, but you really can do anything you put your mind to. You have talent, looks, intelligence, and a healthy amount of fame and fortune. There is literally no path you can choose that will not open to you."

"Well, that helps a lot," said Edo, grimacing. "It would be nice to narrow down my choices a little bit. Assuming I even wanted to quit dueling, and I'm not sure I do." He met his friend's eyes with a wry smile. "Getting advice from you was a whole lot easier when you could just ask your cards everything."

Saiou returned the smile. "I may not be a seer anymore, and I can't advise you as your manager, either, but I am still your friend. I still want what is best for you, and I think I still know you well enough to make some guesses as to what might make you happy. So if you are asking me what I would suggest..."

"I am."

"Very well," said Saiou. "Have you ever considered going into law enforcement?"

That stopped Edo short. He considered a moment, trying to make that idea make sense. "You mean like a police officer?"

"Not exactly. Something a bit more specific," said Saiou. "I was thinking of _duel_ law enforcement. The world is full of card thieves and forgers and Rare Hunters. Someone has to put a stop to them. I see no reason why you should not do professionally what you used to do... freelance, as it were."

"Hm," said Edo. He turned the idea over in his mind. It had been a while since he'd done one of his nightly sweeps for small-time crooks and card thieves. There was no real reason for it, now that his Bloo-D card was safely restored to him, and his sponsors had not been pleased with the idea of him risking his life on the streets when he could be doing any number of safer and more profitable things. When Saiou had been his manager, he had tolerated it because he knew how important it was to him, but Edo's new manager was far more strict. Edo realized he'd missed it.

But enough to give up the Pro Leauges for it?

"It's worth thinking about," said Edo slowly.

"There is time to decide," said Saiou. "You don't need to decide everything all at once, or even tomorrow, or next week. What is meant to be will come clear in time."

Edo flashed him a grin. "Destiny, right?"

"Old habits die hard?" Saiou suggested with a half-smile. "Just because I can't see it doesn't mean it's not there."

Edo settled back and sipped his tea as he watched the stars come out. "You know, it's been a while, and I _still_ can't get used to the idea that your powers are gone. They were so much a part of your personality..."

"I'm still growing accustomed," said Saiou softly. He looked down at his hands for a moment, as though he thought something about them might have changed with the passing of his gifts. "But I'm all right. The life I have now is a good one."

"Mm-hm," said Edo. He thought privately that Saiou didn't sound much more enthused about his current situation than Edo himself felt about his current situation in the Pro Leagues, and decided not to make an issue out of it. One of the things he liked best about Saiou was his ability to keep quiet and not bring up difficult matters unless Edo was ready to deal with him, and Edo wanted to extend the same courtesy. He stared into his now-empty teacup.

"I guess I should be going. It's getting late," he said, without much enthusiasm. "Maybe I can get some sleep on the ride home..."

"You will do no such thing," said Saiou firmly. "You aren't doing anything so important tomorrow that you can't afford to stay the night here and go back in the morning."

Edo raised an eyebrow. "You sound awfully sure of yourself. Are you _sure_ you haven't been reading my future?"

"I've been reading your press releases," Saiou replied, "and you haven't got any duels or major appearances scheduled for tomorrow."

Edo was surprised into laughing.

"I should have kept you as my manager," said Edo. "Psychic or not, you're ten times smarter than the manager I have now."

Saiou bowed his head modestly. "That's an exaggeration."

"Well, maybe so," said Edo. Slyly, he added, "She's been talking about having me sign a commercial deal with Crystal Point Games. It looks like a good deal to me."

"What? What was she thinking? They have a terrible reputation - they never pay anyone on time. If you must sign a deal with them, make sure you go over the contract _thoroughly_ for loopholes and get everything in triplicate, and make sure the paper that you sign is the same as the one they show you, but there are so many better ways of getting exposure..." Saiou trailed off and looked at Edo, who was now trying very hard to contain a laugh. "All right. You've made your point."

"Of course. I always do," said Edo. He stretched lazily, feeling far more relaxed now that he knew he didn't have to go anywhere for a while. He decided that he really didn't visit Saiou often enough. Something of Saiou's aura seemed to have seeped into the walls of this secluded house; it exuded a peace that Edo rarely felt anywhere else. Just being there was a balm for his spirit. He was glad for the chance to spend the night here. "Well, if I'm staying, I think I have time for another cup of tea."

"Help yourself," said Saiou.

The two of them sat there on the porch, chatting amiably about inconsequential things until Edo could no longer stifle his yawns. He'd been up since the crack of dawn working, and he'd put in a hard duel already that day. As soon as Saiou noticed that his friend was fighting off drowsiness, he chased him off to the guest room.

"I'm not such a demanding host that I'm going to make you stay up all night just to keep me company," Saiou told him. "Get some sleep. We can talk in the morning."

Edo nodded silently and shuffled off to the guest room. He knew where it was. He had spent more than one night there, on occasions like this one when his visits ran late, though he tried not to impose on his dear friend's hospitality too often. Nevertheless, he liked it there and would have been happy to have an excuse to stay the night more frequently. It was the only room in the house that looked as though some effort had gone into decorating it, probably because it was also used when Mizuchi came to visit. At any rate, it had a few pictures on the wall and comfortable furniture, and a shelf full of books that were actually meant to be read and enjoyed, and a window that looked out on a miniature waterfall in the garden outside. Edo shed his clothing and crawled into the bed. It was so quiet here - no city noises, no neon lights shining through his window, just the soft sound of night creatures and rustling breezes, and the distant creaks that meant Saiou was moving around somewhere nearby. That comforted him. It was nice to know someone was nearby, watching over him. It was the kind of peace he had rarely experienced since he was a child. Smiling slightly, he dropped into a deep and restful sleep.

* * *

A meeting was held, just as it was every month, between Edo, his manager, his sponsor, and a few other assorted publicists and media personages. They were all talking animatedly, putting forth ideas, asking questions, generally having an exciting time planning out Edo's career... all of them but Edo. He was in the back of the room, leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling, not even making an effort to look like he was paying attention. If it came down to something important... well, what was a manager for if not to make sure good decisions were made? This one may not have had the level of prescience that Saiou had, but she was able enough to keep him out of real trouble. Edo had more important things to worry about than business.

Ever since his visit to Saiou, he had been pointedly trying not to think too hard about what they had discussed. He wanted to be certain he didn't make any decisions based solely on the fact that an idea was new and different and therefore exciting. He wanted to make a calm, rational judgement.

_If I quit, at least I'd never have to sit through any meetings like this ever again..._ he thought. Then he shook his head. That was the wrong way to think.

_Cons first. Why shouldn't I quit?_

Well, there were his millions of fans he would disappoint. It would mean giving up his life of luxury - he didn't know what special dueling law enforcers made, but he was willing to bet it was less than a successful pro duelist. There would be no more penthouse apartments, no more five-star hotels, no more private planes and yachts, no more limousines. If he managed his savings carefully and invested wisely he could probably make shift to live comfortably even on a reduced paycheck, but he'd have to scale back on the luxuries. There would be no more mingling with the best and brightest of the dueling world. He would probably miss that the most - the chance to try his skills against the most powerful gamers alive. He'd have to report to someone else instead of being more or less his own boss. He would have to be on call any time, day or night, instead of having a schedule with plenty of leeway. It would mean giving up everything he was accustomed to and embarking on something completely new and unknown. Right now his world was easy and safe, and it would take courage to upend all of that... but Edo had never lacked for courage.

_Okay, what are the pros?_

Well, there were his millions of fans... he could really live without those. He was good at charming people but he was not, in reality, a people person, and it could grow tiresome having to constantly put forth his public persona of a gentle, personable, charming young gentleman. At least if he was dealing with criminals, he could tell them exactly what he thought of them without having to worry about his reputation. There would be no more press conferences, no more answering calls at seven in the morning, no more photo shoots and magazine interviews, no more handshakes and autographs. There would just be... dueling. Maybe not with the best duelists in the world, but against people who deserved to be put in their place. He wouldn't have to be gentle with them. He would actually be doing something useful, something besides just putting his skills on display for the entertainment of the masses. And maybe he would have more free time for himself, or to spend with people he actually _wanted_ to spend time with...

His thoughts drifted back to Saiou. It had been too long since they'd been able to spend real time with each other. It was only a few hours snatched her and there, whenever Edo could work it into his hectic schedule. It wasn't like before, when they were practically at each other's elbows every minute of the day. He had always thought of himself as the independent sort, but he missed having Saiou around. He was something sane and sensible in a world that alternately seemed either maddeningly superficial or insanely complicated by crazy things trying to destroy civilization.

"Mr. Phoenix, what do you think of it all?" said a voice, cutting into his thoughts.

Edo sat up and fixed his cool blue gaze on one of the publicists.

"I think this has all been very interesting," he said. "I'm going to need some time to mull it all over before I come to any firm decisions. What do you say we meet again in a day or two and we'll review it then?"

"I think that can be arranged," said his sponsor, "but no later than tomorrow."

"This time tomorrow," Edo agreed. "And now I'm gone."

He got up and walked purposefully toward the door. Everyone immediately realized they had been dismissed and began gathering up their things. Edo smiled a little; sometimes a little star power was a useful thing. He was going to have to think long and hard before he gave it up. Or at least until tomorrow morning.

_A walk would do me some good right now,_ Edo decided. It was evening, but not so late in the day that a quick cup of coffee would do him any harm, not with the hours he kept. He headed for the ground floor of the office building and stepped out into the cool air. The street lamps were just beginning to come on one by one, looking wan and feeble in the twilight. Edo avoided them, keeping to the alleyways. He knew every shadow in the city, every back alley, every dark staircase, every chain link fence that could be climbed, every wall that could be scaled, every roof that could be crossed, and every narrow gap that could be slid through. The dark places were probably more familiar to him than the streets that respectable people used, and he was never afraid when he was walking through them. He could also get to anywhere from anywhere in significantly less time than the people who used the conventional routes.

Tonight, he made his way at a leisurely pace, cutting across an empty lot full of old junk, slipping past a fence that wouldn't have admitted a full-grown man but had a gap in it just wide enough for Edo to slip through, and began walking up a narrow alley. He was still mulling over all his options and not paying much attention to his surroundings. Even so, his highly trained senses were quick to pick out the sound of something not quite right. He stopped walking immediately and pressed himself to the wall, barely breathing, as he listened.

"...it over," a coarse voice was saying. "You ought to consider yourself lucky I don't take your whole deck."

"But... I need that card! I've spent years building this deck - I can't get into the Academy without it..."

_Picking on kids,_ thought Edo with disgust. That was about as low as you could go. Still, anyone who would sink to something like that was hardly any match for him. He stepped out of the shadow and began walking toward the voices.

"Evening," he said casually, strolling up to the pair. "I couldn't help but hear someone is in the market for rare cards. Maybe you'd like to gamble for some of mine? Some of them are one-of-a-kind, legendary monsters. You can't pass that up, can you?"

He smiled his sweetest, most innocent smile, inwardly pleased at the thief's look of pure avarice. This was going to be too easy.

Five minutes later, the mugger was lying semiconscious on the ground with his hands and feet bound up with his own belt, with his cards scattered around him. Edo had confiscated his Duel Disk; while he would never steal someone's deck, no matter how shoddy it might be, he felt that only real duelists deserved to carry Disks. He slipped away before the cowering boy could thank him properly. It was dark in the alley and he was fairly sure that the frightened child had never gotten a good look at his face, and he didn't want that to change. As soon as he was a safe distance away, though, he slowed down a bit. He left the purloined Duel Disk in a flower box for some lucky person to find later and strolled the rest of the way to the coffee shop with a smile playing across his face. That had felt good. He had missed it.

_Could I do that for the rest of my life?_ he mused. He thought about the look on the mugger's face when he'd realized the innocent-looking boy he had decided to tangle with was more than he seemed. _Oh, hell, yeah._

* * *

Saiou was cleaning. He used to have people do that for him, but he preferred living alone these days, and someone had to take care of the minutiae. Even after he had lived as the manager of one of the world's foremost duelists, and briefly been revered as a god, he wasn't so proud that he couldn't wash his own dishes and do the laundry. The was always a part of him that still felt like the little boy who had run away from home and lived on the streets. Compared to that, this was the lap of luxury.

At the moment, he was tidying up his library, a job he'd been putting off for far too long. Pegasus had put him on a particularly demanding project that had taken Saiou weeks to sort through, and the study area had become more like a disaster area in the process. Now he shuffled through his papers, filing them away in the proper folders, putting all the books back where they belonged.

_Someday soon I'm going to make a proper catalogue for these,_ he resolved, for the umpteenth time. _Or at least find a better way to organize them._ Library science had not been his study in life. His books were in alphabetical order by author, which, while making sense at the time, left something to be desired when he was trying to find something in a hurry. Or put them back, for that matter.

_Now, where did this go..._

A difficult question, considering that the books on the shelf were no longer in the right order. With a resigned sigh, he tucked the stack of tomes he was carrying under one arm so he could use his free hand to put them right. That arrangement didn't work very well. He soon felt the books slipping, and he made an effort to grab them - too late. Several of them fell to the floor, and one landed on its spine and fell open. Saiou sighed and bent to retrieve them, and then stopped. The book that had fallen open was now proudly displaying a black-and-white illustration of an old woodcut, showing the Grim Reaper leaning on a tombstone.

_Major Arcana XIII - Death,_ thought Saiou, and then shook his head, more at the idea that he was still trying to read omens into things than any discomfort he had with the image itself. Despite what the uninitiated might think, Death wasn't always, or even usually, a bad card to dra. It didn't represent an actual, physical death, so much as something coming to an end - and in the same stroke, bringing with it a chance for new life. A card to be cautious of, perhaps, but not an inherently bad one.

_But this isn't a card and you don't do that kind of thing anymore,_ Saiou reminded himself firmly, and he shut the book. _Back to the shelf... if I only knew where it went._

Maybe now would be as good a time as any to start reorganizing. He could get everything sorted by subject so he could finally find things when he wanted them. With that encouraging thought in mind, he started pulling down books at random and putting them in stacks. He paused over one, trying to remember what it was about. He opened it.

Two hours later he was still in his chair, surrounded by unshelved books, contentedly reading. Nothing disturbed him from his bookish daze until he was roused by the sound of an unfamiliar vehicle pulling up outside. He tucked a scrap of paper into the book to mark his place and stood up to look out the window. A slender rider dressed in white leather and a matching helmet was climbing off a gleaming silver motorcycle. He took the helmet off, shaking out hair that was exactly the color of the bike, and opened a pair of eyes that were visible as clear blue, even at this distance. Saiou smiled a little. Sometimes it was nice to not know what was coming next, when the future brought pleasant surprises like this.

He made his way to the front door, picking his way carefully through the piles of books, and managed to answer it before Edo had knocked too many times. He was greeted by the sight of his old friend grinning at him, his hair still ruffled from being inside the helmet.

"Didn't see me coming this time?" he asked. "You're slipping, Saiou."

"I was cleaning the library," said Saiou.

Edo laughed. "Sure you were. Hope you don't mind me dropping in unexpectedly."

"You are always welcome, expected or not," said Saiou. He stepped aside so that Edo could come in. "What brings you here? This is the second time in two weeks. You must be up to something."

"Nah, not really," said Edo. He sauntered casually into the house and dropped his helmet on the hall table. "I just had some good news and wanted to tell you in person so I could see your face."

"I can always stand some good news."

"Well, then," said Edo. "I quit my job."

Saiou paused, thinking of the book that had fallen. "Somehow, I am not surprised."

"That's good. I don't think I could handle seeing you surprised," said Edo, laughing. He seemed unusually buoyant, a far cry from his usual reserved mannerisms. "I handed in my resignation this morning. I'm going to finish out my contracts, and then it's over. It'll be all over the news in a few days."

"Sooner than that, I expect," said Saiou. "If your sponsor has any sense, they'll play it up as much as they can."

"Haven't lost your touch for the business, have you?" said Edo.

Saiou ignored the comment. "What do you plan to do now?"

"Various things. I've been looking into how to get a position in lawkeeping. It wasn't hard," he added with a grin. "You might have been right with that charmed life stuff. People were falling all over themselves to get me on the force." He preened a little with understandable pride. "I have to go through some training, but that's mostly just a formality. Oh, and they want to give me a psychological examination to make sure I'm suitable."

"I have it on the most reliable authority that there is nothing wrong with your mind," said Saiou.

"Was that a joke? I really can't tell with you sometimes," said Edo.

"Maybe," said Saiou.

"Should have known," Edo replied, shrugging. "Anyway, right now I'm just trying to get my finances in order so they don't all disappear as soon as the big paychecks stop. You know, selling a few things I don't need anymore..."

"Like the motorcycle?"

Edo raised his chin a bit. "I'll have you know that motorcycle is very inexpensive to maintain. It's extremely fuel-efficient. Definitely more so than the limo and the airplane and the boat. I'm keeping it."

"Of course you are," said Saiou, smiling a little. He suspected the real reason had more to do with the fact that it was hard to feel properly heroic while driving a used sedan. Not that Saiou really blamed him.

"I'm thinking I'm going to get a new apartment somewhere," Edo continued. "The one I have is nice but I can't keep up paying thousands of dollars in rent every month. I might even take something permanent if I can find a place that isn't a complete shack..."

"I already know where you're going to stay," said Saiou, surprising himself.

Edo looked at him suspiciously. "Where?"

"Here," said Saiou.

"What makes you so sure of that?" said Edo.

"Because you need a place to stay, and I have a spare room," said Saiou. "And because I know the job you took is nearby." Actually, he didn't know. That was a guess on his part, but he saw by the expression on Edo's face that he was on the mark.

"How did you know that?" Edo asked. "I haven't told anyone..."

"I know," said Saiou. "If you were to take a job like this, you would not have the leisure to travel all around the world whenever you pleased, and you would not have gone to a place where you couldn't be near me."

Edo smiled and shook his head. "What can I say? You know me too well. Are you _sure_ you're not still psychic?"

"I just have very keenly developed instincts," said Saiou.

"Well, since you seem to have everything already figured out..." said Edo slowly, "I guess it would be a shame to ruin your perfect theory. Who am I to turn down such a generous invitation?"

"It wasn't really an invitation. More like an observation," said Saiou. "You realize I haven't actually put any thought into this idea. It may not work. But you could stay here at least until you find someplace better."

"That sounds fair," said Edo. "And I can get you to help me move my things."

"When did I agree to that?"

"You didn't expect me to do it all by myself, did you?" said Edo cockily. Then he softened a little. "So, you were cleaning the library, huh? As long as I'm staying here, I might as well pitch in."

"That is a generous offer, and I accept wholeheartedly," said Saiou.

They went into the library together. Edo cast his gaze over the books and papers, lying haphazardly in tottering piles, and smirked a bit.

"This is what you call cleaning?"

"I'd like to see you do better," Saiou challenged.

"Fine," said Edo. "You start on that side, and I'll do this side."

Saiou nodded and went to work with renewed vigor, without bothering to think about why he was taking orders from someone else in his own home. That was just natural, when Edo was around.

Besides, it probably _would_ get these books finally taken care of.

* * *

The stands were packed. Edo, watching the action through a small screen in his dressing room, mentally gave Saiou points for prescience - not that this was anything usual. The retirement duel of the famous Edo Phoenix was something everyone had wanted a piece of, and prime seats had been going for thousands of dollars, or even tens of thousands. Edo was a little amazed, to tell the truth. Even with that kind of money to spend, why spend it when you could get nearly as good a view a few rows back? It wasn't as if the game would be played any differently depending on where you sat.

"Are you ready?" asked Saiou.

"As I'll ever be," Edo replied. Saiou wasn't really supposed to be in the dressing room with him, since he was technically no longer affiliated with him, but Edo had insisted he be there, and no one was going to quibble with him over such a trivial thing, not on his last night.

"You'll do fine," said Saiou. "It's not like you to go out quietly. I have no doubt that this will be a memorable event. Here." He stepped forward and plucked stray bit of lint from the lapel of Edo's white suit, straightened his tie, and brushed his hair a bit more neatly in place. Edo was aware of the touch of Saiou's cool hand across his forehead, and it sent a small thrill down his spine. He normally didn't like for people to touch him, but when Saiou did it, it was... well, he wasn't sure what it was, other than that it didn't bother him the way it did with other people.

"There's no point in fussing," he said, backing away a little. "It's just going to get messed up again once the battle starts."

Saiou bowed his head in silent apology. "You should look your best until that point."

"Well, that's true," Edo relented.

There was a knock on the door, and a man carrying a clipboard leaned into the room.

"Showtime in five," he announced. "Better get ready, Mr. Phoenix."

"I'll be there," said Edo. He checked to make sure his microphone was functioning properly, adjusted his Duel Disk, and headed for the door.

"You'll be watching, right?" he called to Saiou as he departed.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Saiou answered.

Edo nodded and made his way to the stage entrance. It was a short walk, but it was all Edo needed to clear his mind of everything in the world but the person he would shortly be staring down in a fight to the finish. His opponent for this last battle was not one he would have chosen - a relative newcomer to the pro leagues, one who had fought hard for this honor in hopes that he could establish himself as an heir of sorts to the great Edo Phoenix. Well, thought Edo, they'd see about that. If Edo was going to go out, he was going to do it in a blaze of glory, not with a whimper of defeat. People were going to remember him _winning_.

He was dimly aware of the announcer speaking; he heard his name mentioned and realized it was time to make his entrance. The door in front of him slid slowly and dramatically open, to the accompaniment of a lot of dramatic lights and smoke. Edo glided out of this flurry of special effects, aware of the way the light gleamed off his shining hair and his pristine suit and celestial blue eyes. Added to the way he seemed to emerge from a silver cloud, the overall effect was to make him appear to be an avenging angel descending to earth to do a bit of righteous smiting, and he knew it. His less publicized opponent had no such advantage going for him, but he made the best of it anyway.

"Hear you're all washed up, Phoenix," said the boy. "Don't worry. I'll always remember I got my big break by beating you. You should be glad you're going to be defeated by a-"

"Did you come here to talk or did you come here to duel?" asked Edo dryly.

The other player didn't seem to know how to reply to that. He settled for glaring fiercely and powering up his Duel Disk. Edo ignored the glare and casually turned on his own machine.

"Let's do this thing," he said.

The challenger took the first move, and Edo watched dispassionately as he summoned a monster. It was a pretty solid one for a first move, but Edo had no doubts he would be able to punch his way past it. He was more concerned by the facedown cards. Ah, well, those could be dealt with. He drew and studied his hand, and smiled. Time to show everyone how a _real_ duelist did things.

Overhead, the voice of the commentators echoed across the stands.

"...and Edo Phoenix clears the board with a well-planned deployment of spell cards. He's obviously not going to make this easy for the challenger... Oh, but Master K comes back with a counter spell! I tell you, neither side is giving any quarter tonight..."

"That's right, Bob. You have to expect that from top-notch duelists like these to... Uh-oh, looks like Edo had a trap card waiting! Tough luck, Master K."

The game progressed. Edo was pleased with how things were going so far - his opponent wasn't bad, but so far nothing he'd tried had gotten past Edo's impregnable defenses. It was nights like this when he could almost bring himself to believe in destiny as much as Saiou did. It felt as though everything were coming together for him. Every card he drew was exactly what he needed, and he was steadily shaving points off of his opponent's life. He took a moment to look away from the playing field, under the pretense of wiping the sweat from his brow, and let his eyes scan the crowd until he found Saiou on the fringes of it. Even from a distance, even with the spotlights dimming Edo's vision, it was still hard to miss those luminous violet eyes. He flashed a grin in his direction before turning his attention back to the field. This Master K still had two thousand life points left and a formidable monster on the field. It wouldn't do to get overconfident now...

Suddenly, his attention was caught by something - a spark amid the dancing spotlights that didn't look like it belonged there. He stared at it. It danced and twinkled prettily among the ceiling beams, looking harmless, but...

"Hey, what's wrong with you? Wake up and get back to dueling!" Master K shouted. Then he too looked up at the ceiling. "Hey, what the heck is that?"

Edo watched as the light continued to spread, rippling and flashing. Plumes of smoke began to gather around it. Other people in the audience had noticed it now, too, and were pointing and exclaiming.

"Fire," he said.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm," said the voice of an announcer. "We are having minor technical difficulties. We're sending someone to correct the problem, but in the meantime, please proceed to the exits in an orderly fashion..."

Even as he spoke, men with fire extinguishers were hard at work in the rafters, trying to put out the blaze, but nothing seemed to be working. The fire spread rapidly, and soon the workers were forced to retreat as the beams began to warp and collapse. The people in the stands screamed as bits of hot metal tumbled down upon them, and there was a panicked stampede for the exits. Edo's opponent stared at him with wide-eyed incomprehension.

"You - you planned this, didn't you!" he choked out. "You didn't want me to beat you!"

"You idiot, I was winning!" Edo snapped. "Get out of here before you get killed!"

The man still stood there, looking as though he were trying to decide if he was being tricked. Edo made a growl of frustration and rushed forward to push him. At the same time, a superheated chunk of metal fell down from the ceiling and slammed into the floor in the same place where Master K had been standing a few moments before. That seemed to decide him. He threw one last glare at Edo and began running as fast as he could toward the stage exit.

_Wait... stage exit?_

Edo cast a glance up at the stands, where throngs of panicked fans were trying desperately to press their way to the exits. There were just too many of them, and not enough time. Chunks of the ceiling were already raining down on them, some bits still on fire, and the wails of panic were interspersed with screams and cries of genuine pain. Some of them were children.

One of them was Saiou.

"Hey, down here!" Edo shouted, waving his hands. "There are two more exits down here! This way! ... Damn it, they can't hear me." And it was true. A few minutes ago they had all been watching his every movement; now they couldn't be bothered to remember he was there, even if it might have saved their lives. "Would people just listen to me already? I'm trying to _help_."

He let his shoulders slump. He could yell at these people until his voice gave out, and they would never hear him over all this chaos. He should just turn and save himself while he still could... but of course he couldn't. Edo was, in his heart, a hero, and heroes just didn't walk off and save their own hides when they were standing in a roomful of helpless people who needed saving. He took a breath, coughed as he got a lungful of smoke, and tried to muster his resources to try again.

That was when his gaze fell on one person in the stands who was not trying to run away. Saiou was standing there, quietly watching Edo. His expression said clearly, _I'm not leaving without you._ In reply, Edo pointed very deliberately at the stage exits, and then at the crowds of people fighting to get to the doors. Saiou nodded his understanding and went to grip the shoulder of the nearest person. It was a woman, screaming in hysterics, but she seemed to calm down as soon as Saiou leaned forward to speak into her ear. She immediately turned and began heading back the way she had come, towards the dueling field, and Edo reached up to help her down. Saiou moved on to the next person, and the next, until people became more aware that there was a movement in that general direction. Once people began getting the idea, Saiou returned to the edge of the playing field to help the young and infirm over the railing, while Edo eased them down on the other side and directed them towards the exits, maintaining an even flow of people so that neither exit got too crowded. Particles of debris continued to rain down, and the air grew thick with foul-smelling smoke. Edo took a moment to wrap his handkerchief over his face to try to filter some of it out. His white suit was already gray with soot, and there were a few holes in the sleeves and back where hot rubble had fallen on him. So far, he'd managed to avoid some of the larger pieces sheerly by luck, but there were a few stinging spots that made him suspect he'd picked up burns from the smaller ones. He'd worry about that later, though. Right now, he was squinting into the smoke, trying to see if anyone was left.

"That's all of them," said Saiou. "We're the last."

"Are you sure?" said Edo, staring off at the other side of the stadium. The bleachers were almost impossible to see, much less anyone who might be in them. "We can't leave anyone..."

A large chunk of scaffolding fell with a crash, crushing a portion of the seating.

"If there is anyone left, they are beyond saving," said Saiou. "You've done all you can. Go."

He enforced his command by gripping Edo's arm and all but dragging him towards the exit. Edo was more athletic than Saiou, and if he had put up a fight, he probably could have escaped Saiou's hold. He went. The two of them rushed out the stage door and into the hallways beyond. They had gone less than ten yards before there was a deafening roar behind them, sending hot smoke gushing into the passage.

"I think that was the roof," said Saiou factually.

"No kidding!"

They ran. Through the smoky corridors, past empty rooms filled with things abandoned by panicked workers, and finally out into the night air. It felt blissfully cool and clean on Edo's overheated skin, and he gulped deep breaths of it, feeling his sweat-soaked hair drying on the back of his neck. All around him, he could hear the sounds of people exclaiming over the devastation, still weeping in fear and relief, and over that the sounds of sirens. The sky was red with leaping flames. Edo turned to look at them.

"Well," he said.

Saiou raised an eyebrow. His pale face was streaked with soot, nearly unrecognizable, but those violet eyes gave him away.

"Well, what?" he asked.

"You were right," said Edo. "Nobody's _ever_ going to forget this duel."

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Reawakening

**Reawakening**

**By: SilvorMoon**

Mizuchi was the one who had made breakfast. Saiou had insisted he was well enough to do it himself, but she had heard news of the disaster and come running, bound and determined to nurse her brother and his best friend back to health, and the fact that neither of them were in particularly bad shape was gong to dissuade her. Edo had fared rather worse than Saiou, actually - he'd been burned in a few places and had the bandages to show for it, and he'd been hospitalized briefly for smoke inhalation. Saiou had fared rather better in the burn department - his hair had gotten a bit singed, and he had likewise suffered from the smoke, but he was otherwise in reasonably good shape, all things considered. He was seated at the kitchen table now, with his morning tea in front of him and a newspaper in his lap. Edo was drinking coffee and slathering jelly on a piece of toast while he waited for Mizuchi to finish cooking the eggs. Saiou was reading aloud from the newspaper.

"...with minor injuries," he continued, "but no serious wounds or casualties, thanks in part to the heroic efforts of duelist Edo Phoenix, who guided panicked fans to alternate exits and refused to leave the stadium until all its occupants had escaped safely. He himself escaped with only superficial burns, and was treated at Angel's Mercy Hospital and released that same night. The night's performance was to be Phoenix's final duel in the professional circuit, prior to his retirement to take up a new life in law enforcement. When asked if he planned to have a rematch, he responded, 'You think I'm going to go back in there?'"

Mizuchi laughed, and Edo smiled the smug smile of one who is quite pleased with his words.

"Honestly, can you blame me?" he said. "It doesn't matter who would have won the duel, now. Anything that comes after this would be an anticlimax. As things are... well, the other guy could have shut me out completely and nobody would remember it. Everybody's going to remember me as a hero who saved a stadium full of helpless fans. That's a good way to begin a career, I'd say... They should have mentioned you too, Saiou. You were right there with me the whole time."

Saiou bowed his head modestly. "You deserve the credit. You were protecting the people. I was only protecting you."

"How did the fire start, anyway?" asked Mizuchi, as she deposited a dish with an omelette in front of both men before fetching another one for herself and sitting down with them. "It seems odd that the place should just catch that way."

Saiou folded up the paper to look at another section of the article. "It says here they suspect an electrical malfunction from the lighting, but they don't know for sure. There's no way to find out - there's nothing much left to look at."

"It's a miracle no one was seriously hurt," said Mizuchi thoughtfully. "Especially you two. Promise me you won't do anything foolish like that again, Takuma."

"Should I be relieved or worried that you leave me out of that promise?" asked Edo.

"I know better than to ask you to stay out of danger," she said, "especially given your new career. But be _careful_, won't you? Takuma would have a breakdown if anything happened to you."

Saiou gave his sister a pointed look, but didn't bother to argue.

"Trust me, I don't want anything to happen to me either," said Edo. "But this was an accident - totally unrelated. Nothing like it is going to happen again."

"No," said Saiou, with a touch of grim humor. "The next time, it will be because someone is trying to hurt you on purpose."

"I'd like to see them try it," said Edo. "I think it's pretty safe to say that I'm no easy mark."

"Of course," said Mizuchi. "Though you know that isn't going to stop anyone from worrying about you."

"Well, I'll tell you one thing," said Edo, pointing at the paper. "At least you won't have to worry about a stadium falling on my head."

"And for this, we are all very grateful," Saiou replied. He picked up the paper again and frowned thoughtfully. There was something...

"What's wrong, Saiou?" Edo asked.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "Something just seems... off. No, not _off_, precisely, but... it feels familiar, somehow. I can't quite put my finger on it."

"It will come to you," said Edo. "If it's important, anyway." He gulped down the last of his coffee and glanced at his watch. "Guess I'd better go now. It wouldn't look good if I showed up late on the first day of training."

"Surely they would make allowances for someone who just got out of the hospital," said Mizuchi.

Edo laughed. "Are you joking? These people are looking for someone who can cope with disaster. It would be a strike against me if I couldn't be bothered to show up just because of a little burn. I'll be fine. Thanks for breakfast, Mizuchi! See you later, everyone."

He glided out of the room, and a moment later, the sound of an engine revving indicated that he was on his way to work.

"He certainly is determined," said Mizuchi. "More tea, Takuma?"

"Hm? Oh. Yes, please," Saiou answered distractedly, pushing his empty cup towards her. He was still studying the newspaper article. There was a dim memory trying to make its way to the surface but it wasn't quite coming clear...

"You have work to do, too," she informed him as she gracefully tipped the teapot.

He gave her a wry smile. "I'm supposed to be convalescing, am I not?"

"You can convalesce perfectly well and research at the same time," Mizuchi informed him. "And finish your tea, too. Go on, hop to it!"

"All right, all right," said Saiou. He walked meekly to the study, carrying his tea in one hand and the newspaper in the other. He thought having it around might spark a memory. He hoped so, anyway. If you were trying to remember something that was connected to a fire that burned an entire stadium to the ground, Saiou reasoned, it was probably something important.

HR>

The night was hazy, both with a warm sticky drizzle that drifted in slow motion onto the city, as well as, at least on this particular street corner, the smoke from the cigarette that Shady Jay was smoking to calm his nerves. His eyes kept darting to the shadows, watching for signs of movement, but so far all he had seen were the usual Friday night lurkers, on their way to whatever dubious pastimes they got up to on weekends. There weren't any pastimes to get up to that weren't dubious, on this side of town. Shady Jay was used to it, but he wasn't used to the person he was meeting, and it didn't pay to be too trusting of strangers.

After a few uncomfortable minutes of standing there in the damp, he became aware of a human figure that seemed to be watching him. It was a man, dressed in grubby jeans and a baggy brown jacket. Most of his head was covered by a dark knit cap, and he wore dark glasses even on this foggy night. When he realized that Jay was watching him, he walked forward with an easy, catlike grace that belied his dingy appearance. He wasn't a very big man - shorter than Jay by a good inch or two at least, and built lightly - but he had the assurance of someone who knew how to bend you into a pretzel if you looked at him wrong. He probably knew judo, or something.

"Glad you could make it," he said. His voice was deeper than what Jay would have expected from such a slight man, and had a cold detachment to it that made his stomach squirm. Jay had heard that tone from other denizens of the underworld, and it always signified the kind of person who would look bored while putting a knife through your spleen. "I hear you're looking to trade some cards."

Jay nodded. "Yeah. Did you bring anything to trade with?"

The dark stranger gave a slight inclination of his head. "Let's go somewhere quieter and we'll discuss the terms."

"All right. I know just the place," said Jay. He turned, not without a tremor of unease - he didn't like turning his back to these types - and began leading his companion around to the back of the bar. He didn't even know the man's name. He'd simply materialized, almost out of nowhere, letting it be known that he was looking to purchase rare cards and was willing to pay a lot of money for them without looking too closely into their provenance. Shady Jay Slade had answered the call. He was a small-time duelist who made most of his profits off of card forgeries, and he was always looking for a sucker to unload them onto. What difference did it make, he told himself, whether the cards were real or not? As long as you could play them in a duel, it made no difference whether they came out of the Industrial Illusions-sanctioned factories, or out of Jay's own printing press. It was fair to say that some of Jay's customers felt otherwise, but by the time they figured out what was going on, Jay himself was always long gone.

He led the way into a dimly lit back room, behind the pool hall where he'd been keeping vigil. Once both of them were safely inside, he closed and locked the door, and then reached into his pockets to remove a variety of pouches. He opened them one by one and spread them across the tottery table that was the only item of furniture in the closetlike room.

"What do you think?" he asked. "Anything strike your fancy?"

The stranger ran a slender finger over the rows of cards, evaluating them each. Did he know they were forgeries? Did he care?

"These must have been difficult to come by," he said. "I might be willing to take a few off your hands. I think... this one and this one... this one too," he said, choosing a selection of powerful dragon monsters.

Jay relaxed and smiled a little. Those were a few of his best sellers. "There's more where that came from, if there's something special you're looking for."

"No, I think this will be quite enough," said the stranger. "What are you asking for them?"

"For those three? Usually I'd take fifteen hundred each for the first two and a thousand for that last one, but since you're taking them all together I'd say... thirty-five hundred. Does that sound fair to you?"

"Perfectly fair," the man said. He reached deep into the pocket of his tattered jacket and pulled out a fat roll of bills, and counted them out with a confidence and speed that suggested he'd had plenty of practice. "Here."

Jay eagerly accepted the money and pocketed it. "Nice doing business with you, pal."

"It's been a pleasure," the other man said. "I hope we can do more business in the very near future.

He offered a hand to shake, and Jay reached out to clasp it. The stranger had a good handshake; his slim hand had a strong grip to it, and a cool dry palm. The hand of someone of quality.

Also, the hand of someone who had handcuffs, which had suddenly snapped around Jay's wrist.

"What the-?" Jay exclaimed, along with several other words that would have made anyone of weaker sensibilities flinch. The strange man didn't even react.

"Jason 'Shady Jay' Slade, you are under arrest for counterfeiting and attempting to sell counterfeit cards," he said instead. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney..."

"What the hell just happened?" Jay complained. "Listen, you've got the wrong guy..."

"When I said you had the right to remain silent, I meant _shut up_," said the stranger. He continued rattling off his spiel. "If you cannot afford a lawyer one will be appointed for you. Do you understand your rights?"

"No! Yes! Would somebody tell me who you are and what's going on?"

The man sighed audibly. "You got caught being an idiot, all right?"

"There's gotta be more to it than that."

"Fine. I'm Edo Phoenix of the Northeastern US branch of the Duel Monsters Special Legal Force. And like I said, you're under arrest for counterfeiting. Now, turn around so I can get the other cuff on."

Jay weighed his options. Sure, this guy talked tough, but he was still smaller than Jay, and he didn't have any backup or obvious weapons. Jay moved as though he were going to comply, and then suddenly whipped around trying to strike him. Edo ducked under the blow, and the next thing Jay knew, his feet weren't under him anymore, but in the air. Then he hit the floor hard enough to make him see stars. Edo knelt down beside him with one knee pressing on Jay's windpipe. He smiled sweetly.

"Do you want me to add resisting arrest to your charges?" he added. "Because I will if you don't cooperate."

"Urgk," said Jay.

"On the other hand," said Edo, "you are just a very small fish, and if you are cooperative, you might get yourself a little leeway. Clear?"

Jay tried to nod, realized that Edo's knee was still in the way, and made what he hoped was an affirmative noise instead.

"Good," said Edo. "I'm looking for a man who goes by the name of Monkey Saruyama. Ever heard of him?"

Jay made another noise of agreement.

"Any idea where he is?"

Assent.

"If I take my knee off your neck, are you going to tell me?"

"Yeurgh!"

"I'll take that as a yes," said Edo. "But no funny business."

Jay suddenly found that he could breathe again, and he took several deep breaths.

"He hangs out at the Silver Disk," he said hoarsely. "He's got a room upstairs."

"Would he be there now?"

"No idea. He comes and goes," said Jay.

"We'll check it out anyway," said Edo. He fished a walkie-talkie out of his pocket. "Suspect in custody. I've obtained information on Saruyama. Requesting further instructions."

"Hang on, Phoenix. We'll have a car there for you in no time," said the voice of Edo's superior, Chief Barnes.

"What about Saruyama?"

"Do you think it's worth following up on? If you go in there and he's not home..."

"He'll be suspicious, I know. Don't worry," said Edo. "It's not like I'm going to go in there and kick the door down. I just want to go over there and ask a few questions - make sure this guy isn't just telling us a tall tale."

"Well, you've got good instincts for this sort of thing... take backup with you and don't do anything stupid."

"Right," Edo agreed. "I'll keep you posted."

He closed the connection and settled in to wait for his backup to arrive. They wouldn't be very far away; everyone had been expecting him to make the arrest. He had completed his training a month ago, and since then, he had been working hard at making a reputation for himself among the rest of the force. He had to give Saiou some credit - he really was a natural at this. His years of stalking the streets in search of criminals had made the work almost second nature for him. Learning to cooperate with others and follow strict rules had been more difficult than learning how to catch criminals.

Now he watched smugly as his comrades trussed up Shady Jay and led him out to the waiting police car. True, he was merely a small-timer, and was likely to get a lighter sentence in exchange for the tip on Saruyama, but it was still one fewer criminal who could stalk the streets causing trouble. That was one bonus to this job: he could actually arrest people and send them off to jail instead of just leaving them lying there for someone else to find.

Once Edo was quite certain that Shady Jay wasn't going to make any more trouble tonight, he went and had a brief chat with one of the other members of the team, informing them that they were moving on to their next target.

"We might not get to make the arrest tonight," he said, "but I want to at least see if this tip is good. Better be standing by, though - we might be lucky."

Once the matter had been thoroughly discussed, they set out in various directions that would lead them, eventually, to the Silver Disk. It had once been a fairly reputable bar and restaurant, but that had been back in the day when Duel Monsters had been experiencing its first big popularity explosion, and people would go there just because they liked the name and the decor. Times had changed, though, and it had become progressively more run-down, and the patrons had become increasingly less reputable. Edo had never heard that the proprietors were doing anything strictly illegal, but there were rumors of sketchy goings-on there, and there _were_ rooms for rent upstairs.

It was, in fact, just the kind of place where he felt at home. He eased through the front door and sidled over to the bar to take a seat on a barstool whose cushion was partly held together with duct tape. Leaning casually on one elbow, keeping his attention on the people milling around a card table, he summoned the bartender and ordered a can of cheap beer.

"Gonna hafta ask for some ID," said the bartender. "Too many cops hanging around lately. You know how it is."

"You got that right," said Edo. "They're always getting in people's way, aren't they?" He rummaged in his jacket and pulled out an equally battered wallet, from which he withdrew a card. It was a false ID identifying him as Morgan Banks, age 21, black hair and green eyes (colors courtesy of a wig and contact lenses). The bartender barely glanced at it before shoving it back to him.

"They aren't doing much for business, that's for sure," he said. He slid a can across the countertop, and Edo opened it and raised it to his lips. That was the useful thing about ordering drinks in cans - nobody could tell if he was actually drinking it or not. He'd been known to take a flute of champagne in private once in a while after winning major tournaments, courtesy of Saiou, who had ways of getting hold of things whether he was the right age for them or not, but in general Edo wasn't much in favor of alcohol. He preferred to keep his senses sharp.

"Not so good for my business, either," said Edo. "Seems like lately I just can't seem to get a break. You get caught with a faked card _just once_ and everybody looks at you funny for the rest of your life."

"You're a duelist, huh? Any good?" asked the bartender.

"Good enough," said Edo. "It's not _my_ fault I couldn't find the last card to round out my deck. The point of the game is how well you play, isn't it? It shouldn't matter where you got the cards."

"If you're having trouble booking gigs, there's a guy upstairs who might help," said the bartender. "He's got a knack for working around black marks on people's records. That's what I hear, anyway."

"No kidding," said Edo. He pretended to take another drink from his can. "Has he got a name?"

"Some funny foreign name. Something about a monkey."

"You're telling me to trust my career to a monkey?"

"Hey, I'm just repeating what I hear!"

Edo pretended to look thoughtful. "Well, I guess it can't hurt to talk to the guy. Is he up there now?"

"Last I checked," said the bartender. "Just head through that door there and up the stairs. His room's the last one on the left."

"Thanks," said Edo. Feeling very pleased, he left the bartender a handsome tip and picked his way through the smoky room in the direction of the steps. Somewhere along the line, he managed to leave his drink lying on a table to brighten up some other person's evening. Thus unencumbered, he made his way up the stairs.

The upper hallway was dark and dreary, but it still managed to look better than the downstairs, perhaps because in the dark it was impossible to see just what kind of shape it was really in. He walked carefully toward Saruyama's room, checking the inner pockets of his coat to make sure everything was close at hand if he needed. Beneath the shapeless, bulky jacket was a small collapsible Duel Disk, his deck, a walkie-talkie, another pair of handcuffs, and a small stun gun in case things got ugly. Satisfied that he was ready for anything, he rapped on the door.

"Who is it?" asked a wary voice.

"Nobody you know," said Edo. "The name's Morgan Banks. Guy downstairs said you could help me with a little problem."

The door opened a crack. A narrow eye peered at him through the lens of a pair of spectacles. "What _kind_ of problem?"

"He said you were good at working with duelists who had a few black marks on their records," said Edo. "You know, like maybe having a couple of cards in my deck I wasn't supposed to have..."

"What kind of cards?"

Edo thought for a moment, and then took out the three dragons he'd bought from Shady Jay an hour earlier, and passed them to Saruyama. He turned them over in his gloved hands, considering their texture, their thickness, the quality of the paper.

"Someone did a fine job on these," he said at last. "It would fool anyone but an expert."

Edo shrugged. "So I had the bad luck to run into an expert. What can a guy do?"

"There are a few options," said Saruyama. He opened the door at last. Edo had to fight the urge to laugh at him; he looked more like his conception of the man playing Ebenezer Scrooge in a town production of _A Christmas Carol_ than the man who ran an international ring of underground dueling arenas. "Come in and we can discuss them."

"That's what I came for," said Edo.

He stepped inside, taking a casual glance around the room. It was rather better lit in here, with a few lamps artfully placed in such a way to make the room seem illuminated without highlighting the place's general decrepitude. A careful look was enough to show him that this room wasn't, at root, any better than the rest of the building, but it had been disguised with some fine furniture and artworks to make it appear more luxurious than it really was. Edo had to concentrate on not smirking, but he couldn't help but think that Saiou's uncluttered, undecorated home was more pleasant.

"Have a seat," said Saruyama, indicating a handsome wingback chair upholstered in red velvet. "Can I offer you some tea?"

"No, thanks. I came to talk business," said Edo. Which was true enough, but he was tempted anyway. It wasn't every day one of his targets offered him a nice cup of tea before he arrested them.

"Wise man," said Saruyama. He poured a cup for himself and delicately added a few sugar cubes with a pair of silver tongs. "So. You are a duelist. I take it you are looking to break into the professional circuit?"

"Can you do that?"

"With a little effort, yes. I hope you understand that it won't be easy. You'll be starting on the bottom rung."

"You mean...?"

"I'm sure you've heard of underground dueling."

"Isn't that illegal?" asked Edo.

"Technically, technically... but why let a little thing like that stop you? Dueling is dueling," said Saruyama smoothly. "There are a few more risks involved, but... I'm sure a determined young man like yourself should have no problems."

"What do you mean, risks?" asked Edo. "I've heard something about electric shocks..."

Saruyama waved his hand dismissively. "Just a little incentive to perform better. It keeps the audience's attention. It's really mostly just showmanship - all lights and noise. It's nothing to worry about."

"Well, sure, that's what you say," Edo said. "I'm the one whose hide gets fried. Why should I trust you? What do you know about it?"

"I suppose you could say I'm a bit of an expert," answered Saruyama. "I've been in the business for years. I know every detail of the operation, and I can assure you, there's no harm in it at all."

_That's as much of a confession as I'm likely to get out of this guy,_ Edo decided. He made a show of looking thoughtful for a while.

"So the shocks are okay, huh?" he asked at length.

"Of course," said Saruyama. "Just think of them as a temporary inconvenience."

"Ah," said Edo. "Well, if you're so fond of shocks, here's one for you: you're under arrest."

Saruyama boggled as the cuffs were snapped onto his wrists. Edo smirked and took off his hat and glasses.

"You should pay more attention," he said.

For a moment, Saruyama looked like he was going to keel over from shock. Then, strangely, a smile crossed his face.

"Edo Phoenix. What a small world it is," he murmured. "Well, you caught me fair and square. I tip my hat to you." He bowed his head and spread his fingers a bit, indicating that he would indeed tip his hat if only his hands weren't cuffed.

"Going to come along quietly, are you?" said Edo, raising an eyebrow. He didn't put it past this character to have some tricks up his sleeve.

Saruyama shrugged. "As I said before... a temporary inconvenience. I will cooperate, and my sentence will be light. I will give the names of any number of people I know and use them as bargaining chips. It won't be long before I'm a free man again... and by that time, you'll be dead."

Edo narrowed his eyes. "You're bluffing."

"Not at all, not at all. Just passing along a bit of information I thought you might find useful," he said. "There have been whispers... Someone is looking for you. They don't know where you are yet, but it's a matter of time. They nearly had you once. They'll come for you again."

"Great. Thanks," said Edo. "Come on, buddy, let's move it along. The nice men in the cars with the pretty lights on top are waiting for you."

"Patronize me all you want," said Saruyama. "Your time will come."

"Whatever," said Edo. He took out his walkie-talkie. "Got him. Let's see if we can get him out a back entrance so it won't make a scene."

There was no scene. Saruyama, apparently resigned to his fate, followed Edo quietly outside, with little more than an expressed wish that someone would see to it that his furniture was put safely in storage. Edo just watched silently until he was safely ensconced in a police car and driven safely away.

"I think we can call it a night," said Edo, glancing at his watch. "Still a half-an-hour until my shift's over. Think the chief will care if I clock out early?"

"Nah, you go on," said one of his partners. "You put in a good night's work, but we can take it from here. Need a lift back to the station?"

Edo gladly accepted, and soon he was changing out of his work-wear and back into his motorcycle leathers. It was always a relief, after the end of a hard night's work, to mount up on his bike and make the drive home. It took some time to get back to Saiou's home, but Edo liked the trip - the night air cleared his head, so he could be relaxed by the time he reached the house. It was nice there on the nearly empty roads, gliding swiftly through the dark with the stars overhead. He didn't like to think what it would be like in the winter when the weather turned ugly, but for now, it was one of the pleasures of his day.

As usual, Saiou was waiting for him at the door. Edo had felt bad, at first, knowing that Saiou stayed up to meet him, but it dawned on him that Saiou hadn't kept a fixed schedule before Edo had moved in, and often stayed up half the night anyway doing research. He seemed to find the night comforting; the Light had invaded his mind, but he had chosen the darkness for himself, and he seemed at home in it.

Edo had to admit, too, that it was nice to have someone who was glad to see him come home.

"Did you have a good night?" Saiou asked, as Edo stepped inside and took off his helmet.

"Definitely good," Edo agreed. "Nabbed a small-time counterfeiter and a big-time all- around crook."

"That definitely sounds like time well spent," said Saiou.

"Yeah," said Edo. "Funny thing, though..."

"Funny? Saiou repeated, suddenly alert. "Funny how?"

"The second guy we picked up, that Saruyama," Edo replied. "He said something about someone trying to kill me. He said they were looking for me, and they'd already made one attempt."

"Hm," said Saiou. "_Has_ anyone tried to kill you?"

"Not that I know of," said Edo.

"Then either they aren't trying at all, or they aren't very good at it," said Saiou.

"That's what I'm thinking," Edo replied. "I figure he was just trying to get back at me for arresting him, so I'm not going to worry about it."

"You _will_ be careful, though."

Edo raised an eyebrow. "I'm always careful."

"I'm glad you're happy in your work," said Saiou, "but you know I worry about you when you're off doing these things. I always did, even when..."

Edo frowned a little, guessing what the end of that sentence was - something like, "Even when I could look into the future and see that you would be all right." He set a hand on Saiou's arm.

"You know I'll always come back," he said. "I wouldn't leave you alone like that."

Saiou smiled a little. "Thank you, Edo. That means a lot to me."

"Anyway," said Edo, a little uncomfortable with the sentiment, "I'm too wired to go to bed yet. Tell me what you've been working on."

"Nothing of interest," said Saiou modestly, but that was what he usually said. It usually turned out to be something interesting anyway. Edo listened as his friend went on to describe what he'd been doing all day, but he was listening with less attention than usual.

_I am happy in my work. Even these threats don't bother me,_ he thought. _I just wish you could be happy, too. No mater what you say, you haven't been really happy since you lost your powers. If there was something I could do, I would do it... Seems like all I can do is come home at night._

"Saiou," he said suddenly, "Let's go do something tomorrow."

"Hm?" said Saiou, his train of thought broken.

"I have a day off," said Edo. "We should go do something together."

"I don't know. I have work to do..."

"It will still be there when you get back," said Edo firmly. "You don't get out enough. At least I go down into the city and talk to people besides you and Mizuchi. You never go out at all, and you don't have any excuse not to."

Saiou smiled a bit wryly. "So I should go out and have fun whether I like it or not, is that it?"

"Well, I'd rather you liked it," said Edo. "Come on. What can it hurt?"

"I suppose you're right," Saiou replied. "Very well. Tomorrow you have my permission to drag me out into the world."

"Good," said Edo, smiling. "I'll hold you to it."

"I'm already afraid," said Saiou, but he laughed. "That being the case, I suppose I should rest up. And so should you. Goodnight, Edo."

"Goodnight, Saiou. See you in the morning," he said.

He returned to his room - funny how quickly he had started thinking of it as _his_ - and began settling down for the night. However, no sooner had he closed his eyes, when his brain began determinedly reminding him that someone had been threatening him with death and destruction not so very long ago. That was not the sort of thing that produced easy rest when you heard it just before bedtime, even if you led the kind of life Edo had lived. Maybe especially then.

_Stop it,_ he told himself. _It was just a stupid threat - nothing is actually going to happen. Nobody's trying to kill you. Tomorrow is going to be a peaceful day, for once. You're going to go out and have a nice relaxing day with Saiou, so think about that instead._

By degrees, he was able to distract himself with that pleasing notion, and gradually he relaxed enough to start thinking happily of what he would do with his day off, and at last, his thoughts drifted away and he thought of nothing at all.

* * *

The day dawned auspiciously, cool and sunny, without a cloud in the sky. However, neither Saiou nor Edo were awake to see the dawn, since they had both been up well past midnight the previous day. It was nearly noon by the time both of them were awake, dressed, fed, and ready to travel. They walked casually out to the garage, both of them carrying motorcycle helmets.

"Nice to see you actually using that thing," Edo observed, as Saiou mounted the bike.

"Once a week, for shopping," said Saiou, so mildly that anyone else might have missed the joke.

Saiou's motorcycle was not silver like Edo's, but a deep purple, a few shades darker than his eyes, with a metallic gleam to it. It had been a gift from Edo, after he had learned that Juudai had destroyed Saiou's old bike by driving it into an ocean. There had been a few words exchanged on that subject the next time Edo and Juudai had met, but winning an argument with Juudai was never the easiest thing to do. He had a way of refusing to stick to the subject, and after a while Edo had just let it drop. At any rate, it was a nice motorcycle and Saiou seemed to like it.

"Today will be a good day for travel," Saiou observed.

Edo raised an eyebrow, invisible behind his helmet. "Was that a prediction?"

"Yes," said Saiou. "From the weatherman."

The route down the side of the mountain was long and curving, but they both knew the way well and kept pace with each other easily. Few others traveled to this remote location, so they had the road almost to themselves. Edo found it relaxing - just the two of them, side by side, rolling steadily through the tree-lined world, with no one else around to bother them. He would have been content if they had done nothing else but drive. There was no one out here to judge them or try to fit them into some pre-established little mold. Edo had always been good at charming people, but Saiou was the only one he had ever felt truly comfortable around, comfortable enough to be himself.

_I really am glad I got out of that job,_ Edo mused as he rode. _I spent more time playing the role of the perfect duelist than I did being myself. It's better this way. Saiou doesn't care if I'm not perfect._

Eventually, they reached the bottom of the slope and drew nearer to the town. As the two of them paused at a stoplight, Edo called, "So where do we want to go, anyway?"

"I don't know. The bookstore," said Saiou.

Edo laughed. "Party animal."

"You asked where I wanted to go."

"No, no, that's fine. Wherever you want is fine," Edo assured him.

The light changed, and they wound their way deeper into the city. There were several bookstores in it, but only one they frequented. It was the kind of place that managed to maintain something like a cozy air, despite the fact that it covered most of a block, with clusters of comfortable chairs where you could sit and read to see if you liked what you'd found, and a coffee shop in the back where one could enjoy a snack while they read. Edo preferred action to sitting and reading, but he didn't mind stopping in once in a while. He parked his bike and followed Saiou into the building.

It didn't take long for the two of them to go their separate ways. Saiou drifted over to a shelf of poetry, which he liked and which bored Edo to tears. Edo himself wandered over to the magazine rack and began browsing dueling magazines. When those became tiresome (most of them told him things he already knew anyway), he wandered over to a rack of comic books and began leafing through them. He'd always had a soft spot for them, but generally didn't read them just because he'd always been too busy with other things, and anyway, he had a reputation to keep. He debated over them a while before deciding that they were inexpensive enough that it wouldn't hurt to pick up a couple of them. He chose a few that looked interesting, and then wandered off to see what Saiou was doing.

He found his friend standing near the front of the store, where a variety of odds and ends had been put on display: racks of bookmarks, book-lights, pens, journals, and similar things that didn't fit with the usual rows of books. There were a number of small kits offering to teach people to do various things, from calligraphy to origami to growing bonsai trees. Saiou was contemplating one that declared its ability to "Unlock the Mysteries of the Tarot! Explore the secrets of the future with your very own Tarot deck." The cards inside were flimsy, papery things, hardly a fit replacement for the deck Saiou had lost, but Edo could see an expression of wistfulness in his old friend's eyes.

"You should get it," Edo opined.

Saiou looked up at him and shook his head. "You know that won't work."

"Actually, I don't. I've never seen you try," said Edo. "All I know is that you haven't been yourself since that day the Light left you. No matter how much trouble that gift of yours might have been, it was still _yours_. You're just not the same without it."

"That power has left me," said Saiou. "There's no point in trying to reclaim it." He turned resolutely away from the box of cards. "I'm going to pay for these. Are you done shopping yet?"

"No, there's something else I still want to look for while I'm here," said Edo. "I'll tell you what - why don't you pick us up both something to eat and we'll have a snack while we're here."

"All right. What would you like?"

"Um... one of those hazelnut coffee things - you know the ones I like. And a toffee- almond bar. I'll catch up to you in a bit."

Edo waited for Saiou to leave before he turned his attention back to shopping. Judging by the line of people at the coffee shop, it would be some time before Saiou would be watching for Edo to return. There was plenty of time to make a discreet purchase. He picked up the Tarot box and whisked it and the rest of his things up to the checkout counter, which was conveniently well out of sight of the snack area. Once he'd paid for everything, he whisked it all away in the direction of the restrooms, where, as he had expected, he found a trash can. The box, along with its handy guide to using the cards, went into the garbage. The cards were slipped into Edo's coat pocket, where they wouldn't be noticed.

_I'll just hang on to these until the time is right._

Meanwhile, Saiou was preoccupied with the complicated process of buying coffee. This coffee shop, like so many of its ilk, was a testimony to the creativity of mankind: it offered drinks in a variety of flavors, styles, and temperatures, most of them with trendy and superficially Italian names. He found the whole thing to be a little overcomplicated, not to mention overpriced, but Edo liked it so Saiou indulged him. He purchased a cup of tea and a muffin, as well, as making Edo's order, and then settled in at a secluded table to wait and watch for his friend. It wasn't long before he saw him - it appeared that a trio of young woman had recognized him and had accosted him in search of autographs. Saiou watched as Edo went through his routine, smiling and making charming comments as he signed the proffered articles.

_One of these days, it will be more than an act,_ he thought gloomily.

As much as he hated to contemplate the fact, Saiou knew that someday, the light in one of those girls' eyes would find an answering spark, and then things would never be the same. It wasn't the kind of knowing that came from supernatural powers and Tarot cards; it was just a simple understanding of the way things worked. Even if Edo wasn't a superstar anymore, he was still charming and highly attractive, and people were bound to notice. Saiou understood that no matter how much he enjoyed the way things were now - and he had to admit that he had been happy these past few weeks - they just weren't going to stay that way. Someone was going to take Edo from him...

_As though I have any claim on him. Not like that._

Edo appeared, looking cheerful. Saiou wondered whether it had been the attention of the girls that had made him that way, and dismissed that thought as being possessive as well as paranoid.

"Whew," said Edo, sliding into his seat. "I thought they would never leave. Sorry to keep you waiting."

Saiou felt mildly relieved. "I didn't mind. It takes so long to get through these lines, I barely noticed."

"Well, it's appreciated anyway." Edo took a sip from his drink and sighed contentedly. "I needed this. If there's one thing I'm tired of doing, it's signing autographs."

"What would you rather be doing?" asked Saiou, settling in to eat his food with much more enjoyment now that he was reassured of where Edo's attentions were.

"I don't know. Something. I'll think about it while I finish my coffee," he replied.

"You went where I wanted to go, so I'll go where you choose next," said Saiou. "Fair is fair."

"Let's see a movie," Edo suggested. "There's a good one playing."

"Good by your standards or good by my standards?"

Edo laughed. "You said I could choose."

They went to the movie. It turned out to be an action feature involving lots of explosions and dramatic fight scenes. Saiou watched it patiently, with tolerance if not actual enjoyment. Mostly he just let his mind wander, caring little for the plot, but pleased that Edo seemed to be enjoying it. It was odd how they managed to get along so well when their tastes differed to such a degree, but they had always adapted easily enough. All the same, he was glad when the final scene played and they could step out of the theater. Evening had fallen while they were inside, and now the city's lights were flickering into view.

"Are you hungry yet?" asked Edo. "It's probably time for dinner, or something.

"Not yet."

"Me either," said Edo. "Let's just walk for a while - work up an appetite."

"That sounds fair enough," Saiou agreed.

They wandered through the streets, peering in shop windows without bothering to buy anything. Instead, they chatted idly - Saiou gave Edo his opinions on the movie, making him laugh. There were lots of other people on the sidewalks that night, occasionally making it difficult for them to stay close to each other, but Edo knew his way around and easily chose a path that would take them through the less-traveled parts of town. Less reputable, too, but Edo was an expert in navigating such places. There was really no need to be concerned...

Edo was concerned. He glanced over his shoulder, frowning a little. There was a sound of footsteps - the quick shuffling ones of someone trying to be sneaky and not doing too well at it. Edo couldn't see him yet, but he didn't need his eyes to tell him what was going on.

"Don't look now," he said to Saiou, "but I think we're being followed."

Saiou grimaced a little. "What do we do?"

"Try to lose him," Edo replied.

He tried to ease down a side street, one he knew would take them back to more populated areas. If they could make it that far, they could get lost in the crowd, or duck into a building to wait for whoever it was to go away...

"Oh, no you don't! Freeze!" said a voice behind him.

Edo froze. After standing there a second or two and receiving no further instructions, he raised his hands over his head and began to turn around to see what he was dealing with. He found himself facing a young man close to Edo's own age, with a gaunt face and a slightly wild expression. And a gun. The gun was what was occupying most of Edo's attention, along with the fact that the person holding it was waving it around with the slightly erratic movements of someone who was not entirely confident with it, and was therefore liable to let it off at any time whether he was intending to or not.

"Hey, just calm down," said Edo soothingly. "This doesn't have to get ugly. Just tell me what you want and we'll work something out."

"Shut up," the gunman snapped. He turned to Saiou. "You," he said, gesturing with the gun and making them both wince, "can go. I don't care about you. It's him I want."

Anger flashed across Saiou's face. "I'm not going anywhere without him."

"Fine then," the man snapped. "Just... stay out of the way!"

"Take it easy," said Edo, trying to get the gunman's attention back to himself and away from Saiou. "Look, there's got to be a way to settle this..."

"You stop talking!" said the gunman. "Just... stop... talking! I'm gonna shoot you anyway, so just stop!"

"Whoa, what? Wait a minute, what do you want to shoot me for?" Edo protested. "I don't even know you?"

"It doesn't matter," said the man. "Time's up! Now!"

There was a flash and a noise, and time seemed to slow down. Edo had time to think that this was it, that there was no way he was going to get out of this one, that the bullet was going to hit him and he was going to die. Even worse, he was going to die with Saiou watching him. In the distraction of the moment, that bothered him more than the knowledge that he was about to perish did. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for something to hurt.

Nothing did. He opened his eyes. Either the world really had slowed down a lot more than he had realized, or something funny was going on. The bullet was still moving towards him, but at a crawl, as though it were falling through honey. The thug was staring as though he had seen a ghost. Edo turned a little, thinking vaguely to ask Saiou if he saw what Edo was seeing, but then he stopped, because he didn't need to ask.

Saiou was staring fixedly at the gunman with a gaze that gleamed like lightning. A pale glow surrounded him, and his clothing stirred in a wind that seemed to be felt by him alone, a force that made his hair fan out behind him like a cloak, or like dark wings.

"Don't hurt him," he said, in a voice that was dangerously soft. "If you try to hurt him again, I swear I'll kill you."

The gunman whimpered a little. Desperately, he fired the gun at Saiou, only to have the bullets drop out of the air several feet away. Saiou made a movement, and the gun flew out of the man's hand and clattered to the ground several yards away. Finding himself unarmed, the thug began edging away, looking ready to make a break and run, but Saiou clenched his fist suddenly and the man staggered to a stop, eyes wide, his hands scrabbling at the invisible force that was closing around his neck.

"I told you I would kill you," said Saiou in that same pitiless voice, "and you didn't listen."

Edo just stared, feeling unable to process everything that was happening around him. He felt no pity for the man who had just tried to murder him, but...

"Please don't kill him, Saiou. It will just make trouble," he said, in the reasonable tone of one issuing a reminder that sweets are bad for your teeth.

At first he thought Saiou didn't hear him, but then his grip relaxed and the thug slumped to the ground, panting heavily.

"You are lucky. Your life has been spared," said Saiou. "Go away and don't come back."

The gunman, minus his gun, gave a final whimper and staggered off into the night. Edo paid hardly any attention to him. His eyes stayed fixed on Saiou. For several moments, it seemed that his friend was caught in some sort of trance, standing there surrounded by that unearthly glow. Then, as though a switch inside him had been flipped, he deflated and became himself once more. He turned to look at Edo with a gaze that was as baffled and frightened as Edo suspected his own was.

"Edo..." he began, taking a few hesitant steps toward him.

With a sigh of relief, Edo finished crossing the distance and put his arms around Saiou. They stood there like that for a long time, leaning against each other for support. Edo could feel Saiou's heart pounding in his chest, and he waited patiently until it had quieted before he began guiding him towards a bus stop bench where they could sit down. It was still a long time before either of them spoke again.

"You see," said Edo at last. "I knew you could still do it."

There was a pause. Then Saiou said, "So did I."

"You did? Well, you gave an awfully good impression of not knowing," said Edo, trying to lighten the mood a little.

As usual, Saiou took him seriously.

"I didn't want to believe it, at first," said Saiou. He kept his gaze trained on the sky, where a few weak stars were somehow managing to make themselves seen through the city light. "After the Light left me... It drained more power from me than I had ever used before, and did things with that power that I had never known I was capable of. It frightened me, knowing that I could do so much more than I had realized... but after it was over, I was drained dry. There was truly nothing left in me, and at the time, I wanted to believe that it had been used up forever. I thought I would be happy as a normal person. By the time it returned..."

"You were still afraid to use it," Edo finished.

"Yes. And I had become... habituated," said Saiou. "The longer I went without trying to use them, the more easily I could convince myself that there was nothing left. By the time I began to realize that I truly wasn't whole without them, I lacked the conviction to use them."

"Not even when Mizuchi was kidnapped?" asked Edo.

"Especially not then," said Saiou gravely. "Don't you see? I didn't foresee the danger. If I had admitted afterwards that I could have if I had tried, it would mean I had to accept the blame for being able to protect her and not doing so."

"I see," said Edo. "But this time, it was do or die."

Saiou shrugged. "I couldn't let anything happen to you."

"Well, I'm glad of that!" said Edo. "I know I specialize in this sort of thing, but I think if you hadn't been here... well, it wouldn't have been pretty."

"If I hadn't been here," Saiou repeated softly. "I could have foreseen this if I had tried. If I hadn't been here, you would have died, and it would have been my fault..."

"But you were here," said Edo. He put his hand over Saiou's. "And you would have been here no matter what. It was Destiny."

Saiou raised his eyes to meet Edo's gaze, and his expression slowly softened into a smile. Edo smiled back at him. Their faces were very close together, and Edo had the sudden crazy thought that they could have kissed if they'd just leaned forward a little bit more.

To distract himself from that uneasy thought, Edo said quickly, "At least now we know who was trying to kill me."

"No," said Saiou. "I'm sorry to say that we do not."

Edo raised an eyebrow. "How do you figure that?"

"I caught a glimpse of his mind while I was... while he was running away," Saiou replied. "He was thinking, 'That guy didn't say anything about this!' so I have to assume that he was hired to kill you by someone else."

"Wonderful," said Edo with a sigh. He wondered just how long the man had been trailing them. It was possible he had been behind them almost since they had set out. There was really only one way to get from Saiou's secluded home to the main road, and if someone decided to watch for them...

_I'm going to have to be more careful,_ Edo decided. Then he reconsidered. _**We're** going to have to be more careful._

"It will be all right," said Saiou. "I have been remiss in my duties, but I won't avoid my responsibility any longer. I will protect you to the end of my ability."

"I knew that," said Edo. He grinned suddenly and began reaching into his coat pocket. "I didn't think I was going to need these so soon, though. Here."

He pressed the cards he'd bought into Saiou's hands. Saiou stared at them, turning them over as though he'd never seen anything like them before. He raised his eyes again, and Edo could see a gleam in them that looked suspiciously like tears.

"Edo, I... I'm touched by your faith," he said quietly.

"It was nothing," said Edo. "You're just stubborn, that's all, so I figured I'd help you along a little. They're not as good as your old ones, but they'll do until we can get you a proper deck again."

"No," said Saiou. "I'll keep these. Thank you very much."

He tucked the cards into his pocket and stood up, looking a good deal more determined than Edo had seen him in a long time.

"We should go now," he said. "Someone should report this incident, should they not?"

"Yeah, probably so," Edo agreed. He cast a glance at the gun lying on the pavement. "But I don't think it matters. No matter how many pawns you capture, you don't win the game until you've got the king. Catching him won't tell us anything. He probably has no more idea who hired him than you do."

"In that case, I can make use of this," said Saiou, and he picked up the gun, carefully, using the hem of his jacket.

"The conquering hero takes his opponent's sword," said Edo with a faintly approving smile.

"It's not that," said Saiou. "I was thinking more along the lines of using it as a focus for scrying and seeing if I can't learn more about its origins."

"That does sound a lot more practical," Edo agreed. He stood up and came to stand beside Saiou. "I guess the fun is over for today. We'd better head home."

"I think you're right," said Saiou. He stared vaguely off into middle distance. "I think I have a lot of things to catch up on."

Edo smiled. "I think you're right. I've had just about enough fun for one day."

They began to retrace their steps, heading back to the light and to civilization. Edo mused on the day's events, wondering just how they'd gotten from a quiet trip to the bookstore to getting attacked by crazed gunmen and manifesting psychic powers. He sighed contentedly.

"Hey, Saiou?"

"Yes, Edo?"

"I'm glad things are back to normal, aren't you?"

Saiou chuckled softly. "Yes, I really am glad."

* * *

The nice thing about working for Pegasus was that it was nearly always possible to get in touch with him. It seemed like it should be more difficult to get in touch with one of the most prestigious people in the world - and perhaps it was, if you didn't happen to be part of his inner circle. However, he took good care of his employees, especially those like Saiou who had unique skills to offer. He also tended to keep erratic hours, staying up until all hours of the night working on some painting or researching some obscure bit of history. If you wanted to talk to him, then odds were good that sooner or later, you would.

The trick was usually getting him to _stop_ talking.

"Yes," said Saiou into the telephone, "that's right... Mm-hm... Well, yes, but... Of course. Yes, I'll get right on it. Thank you very much. I'll let you know how it goes. Yes, as soon as I have anything to report. Goodbye, sir."

Saiou hung up the phone with a small and slightly exasperated laugh. He had called out of a sense of honesty and duty to his employer to let him know that his powers were restored, and that he was now capable of investigating some of the occult mysteries Pegasus wanted to know about a bit more directly. He had been duly and heartily congratulated on his recovery, and then promptly loaded down with a dozen or so new tasks - and those, it had been implied, were just the ones that Pegasus could think of on the spur of the moment. Saiou didn't need to glance into the future to see that he was going to be occupied for the next three months at least. But that was all right. For the moment, he was grateful to be doing what he did best.

Having completed his discussion with his employer, Saiou returned to his favorite chair in his study and picked up his new cards from the table where they lay, and ran his fingers over them fondly, as he might have stroked a small pet. And why not? He had found that if you owned and handled a magical object long enough, even something as simple as a deck of cards, it began to develop a certain life of its own, something that was very nearly a personality. Certainly they had a knack for communicating. In the same way that Edo's deck would arrange for just the right card to be on top at just the time Edo needed it most, Saiou had known his cards to conveniently slip out of his hands or fall off the table in just such a way to convey some message or another. His old deck had been quite opinionated, at times.

"I'm sure you have some opinions, too, don't you?" Saiou said aloud, as he shuffled the cards. If the situation hadn't been so serious last night, he might have laughed to hear Edo earnestly suggesting that Saiou replace this deck with something a bit more expensive and dignified. As though it made a difference what sort of paper they were printed on, or what the subtleties of design were! The fact that this was a gift, freely bestowed by someone who had truly desired to help him, gave this deck a special power of its own. Some of Edo's own vital spirit was reflected in it. These cards would do their best for him.

As if reflecting his thoughts, one of the cards slipped out of his grip and fluttered to the floor. It landed face-up, displaying an image of The Lovers standing next to each other, clasping each other's hands as they gazed adoringly into each other's eyes. Saiou frowned at it.

"I didn't _ask_ for your opinion," he told it, as he slipped it determinedly back into its place.

Not that it was likely to mean anything. The difficulty with Tarot cards was that their meanings were seldom literal. That particular card might refer to any sort of happy union, not only one between lovers but between friends, relatives, or even a business partnership.

Which wasn't to say that he had never considered the possibility...

Saiou sighed, his good mood suddenly flattening. Of course he had been thinking about it. Who wouldn't, in such a situation? He had long ago made up his mind that he was never going to find a romantic partner - it had been obvious almost from the day he had begun to see the appeal in such things that there was simply no point in trying. At the time, he hadn't been much more than a boy - one who had spent the last few years living on the streets, surviving on what little he had been able to obtain by one means or another. He'd done odd jobs when he could, or earned a few coins by telling fortunes for people - a few but not many, because he had not yet learned the art of telling people only what they wanted to hear, and the whole and unvarnished truth was rarely what anyone wanted to hear. Sometimes he would use his gifts to invade the minds of the more fortunate and convince them that they should give him what he needed; sometimes he would steal. He had been in and out of orphanages, shunned by his fellows until he and Mizuchi had run away again rather than live with their constant ostracism. His power made people fear him, and he could not have even a short-term relationship with someone without letting them see him for what he was. It had become clear, as well, that he was not attracted to the people that society said he was supposed to be. Just one of these obstacles might have been overcome, but all of them together... it wouldn't work. He was too different, too _wrong_ for anyone to desire.

Except maybe Edo. He cared nothing for the facts of Saiou's past, except perhaps that it meant that Saiou was an orphan like himself. The powers Saiou held did not make him freakish to Edo; they were a natural part of his personality, to be embraced and encouraged. But as for the other part...

Well, that was the tricky part, wasn't it? As far as Saiou could tell, Edo had never been more than fleetingly attracted to anyone, male or female. It just wasn't what he did. Other people were attracted to Edo, in droves, and he tolerated their attention with the same disinterested politeness. What indication was there that it would make any difference that the attention was coming from his best friend? It might make matters worse. It might make Edo decide he wasn't comfortable living in the same house with him. It might make him uncomfortable spending time with him altogether.

But he hadn't seemed uncomfortable when he'd stood with his arms around him last night, with his head leaning on Saiou's shoulder. He hadn't been nervous about touching his hand. Why was that? Because they were friends and so Edo trusted him? Or was there a chance...

Events had fallen out so neatly that they would meet, they would work together, become friends, and now they were living together, so it seemed like a logical progression... Was that Fate, or just wishful thinking?

"You're no help at all," he told the cards. "The least you could do is tell me something I can use."

He pushed that thought aside as being unhelpful. It would do him no good to complain about what couldn't be done. He reflected that he was getting spoiled - he'd only had his powers back for less than a day, and already he was complaining to himself about what they couldn't do. There were more important things to think about, anyway.

"All right," he said. "Let's see what you can do for me. What can you tell me about the one who is threatening Edo?"

He spread his cards out on the table, slowly, giving each new card his full attention. He stared at the pattern they made, frowning thoughtfully.

"Are you sure?" he asked aloud. There wasn't any obvious response, but he seemed to take something significant from the silence. "Interesting..."

**To Be Continued**


	3. Visitors

**Visitors**

**By: SilvorMoon**

When Edo returned home from work that evening, he was not in the best of moods. The team was caught in the midst of searching for a ring of counterfeiters, which seemed like it ought to be an easy thing to find, since a large one such as this generally required a stable base and printing presses to get their work done, but this group was proving particularly hard to nail down. They seemed to have operatives scattered all over the country, possibly all over the world, and none of them seemed to know who or where the others were, so that even catching one or two didn't create any new leads. The annoyance was only compounded by the fact that it had started to drizzle on the drive home, and while his suit and helmet protected him from the worst of it, he was still feeling cold and slightly damp by the time he got home.

"I would commit murder for a hot shower right about now," said Edo, as he began unlocking the front door. Not that it was going to be necessary. Saiou was usually good about making sure that things were comfortable when Edo came home on wet nights like this. There would be a fire burning in the fireplace in the study, and a pot of hot tea made up, with possibly some cake or cookies if any were handy, and the heater in the room would be turned on until the small space was nearly stifling, which was how Edo liked it, especially on days like this.

But there wasn't. The front hall, which normally would have had the lights burning brightly to welcome him, was dark. Edo looked around, puzzled and slightly worried.

"Saiou?" he called. "Saiou, are you here? Why is it so dark?"

There was a vague sound from somewhere within the depths of the house. It was the slightly guilty sound of someone who had been deeply involved in whatever he was doing and had forgotten what time it was.

"I'm in the study," he called back. "Come have a look at this."

Edo obediently went to look, flipping on lights as he went. He opened the study door a bit too fast and nearly sent a stack of papers flying off the table where they had been carelessly piled. He looked around, checking for any more traps.

"You've been busy," he said, and it was obviously true. The cards Saiou had been using were still spread out on his desk. The rest of the available desk space and part of the floor was covered with newspapers and printouts. Saiou himself was in front of his computer, apparently deeply engrossed in an article.

"Hard at work, I see," said Edo. "What happened? Did Pegasus double your workload?"

"Yes," said Saiou vaguely. "That's not what I'm doing."

"All right. I'll give up - what _are_ you doing?"

"Research," said Saiou. He turned to face Edo. "I asked my cards who is trying to hurt you. They are not very good at identifying specific persons, but they can give clues. I am following them. Look here."

He clicked one tab on his browser, bringing up an article about the fire in the stadium on the night of Edo's farewell duel.

"I'm assuming this is still fresh in your mind," he said.

"Of course," Edo replied. "How could I forget?"

Saiou wisely didn't attempt to answer that question. Instead, he clicked a new tab, bringing up a different article.

"Now read this," he instructed.

Edo leaned forward for a better look. At first glance, he though it was a different article on the same incident, but a closer look showed him that it was dated nearly two years ago. Nevertheless, it was definitely familiar material: an article about a stadium catching fire and burning to the ground during the middle of a championship duel. Edo read it and felt a chill crawl down his neck that had nothing to do with the weather.

"Saiou, this is..."

"The last duel DD ever played," said Saiou. "In public, at least. I seem to recall that he had one more that ended in a similar fashion."

Edo nodded grimly, his expression taut.

"An interesting coincidence, don't you think?" Saiou said quietly. "For such a thing to happen once is remarkable. For it to happen twice..."

"Are you trying to tell me that the fire at the stadium had something to do with... with... Saiou, DD's _dead_."

"We have been operating under that assumption, yes."

"Operating under that assumption," Edo repeated slowly. "But he _is_ dead. I saw him die. At least," he amended, after a moment of thought, "I saw the room go up in flames... the ceiling collapsed... I didn't actually see him die, but he couldn't have survived... Could he?"

"That is what I wondered," said Saiou. "My cards seemed to indicate that he is somehow the cause of this, so I have been researching the circumstances surrounding his... disappearance. It would seem that though the wreckage of his ship was located, his body was never found. So there is an outside chance that he may have escaped."

"Great," said Edo, grimacing. "That's just what I wanted to hear."

"It is not a certainty," said Saiou, somewhat apologetically.

"No, but it's one more thing I get to worry about," said Edo. He sighed. "Well, thanks for letting me know anyway. I'd rather have some advance warning than be surprised... again."

"I will keep trying to find out more," said Saiou. "These new cards and I are not yet familiarized with each other. It will take some time for me to learn their language. It may be that I will discover more in subsequent readings."

"Don't wear yourself out," Edo told him. "You don't have to figure it all out in one night."

Saiou raised his eyes to look seriously up at Edo. "I have a duty to protect you."

Edo almost wanted to laugh, he sounded so serious... but it was not a laughing matter, and he knew that Saiou truly meant and believed it. He smiled instead.

"I know, and you will," he said. "I'm heading to bed now, okay? Don't stay up too late."

Saiou nodded, but Edo could tell he was already distracted, focused completely on his mission. Edo laid his hand on Saiou's shoulder for a moment - for his own reassurance or Saiou's, he was not sure - and shuffled off to his room to get some sleep. He carefully peeled off his damp clothing, pulled on his pajamas, and crawled into bed. He shut his eyes, waiting for the night noises of the house to soothe his nerves. He'd always felt so safe here that it usually took him no time at all to doze off..

Then he was on his feet again, walking down the halls of the house. The lights were all out, but he managed not to trip or bump into anything. He moved like he knew what he was looking for, and yet it seemed to take far longer than it should for him to make the short trip to the study. He stood in front of the door, wondering why it didn't look like it usually did - smooth and flat instead of the paneled wood it usually was. He touched the doorknob (didn't this door usually have a handle?) and found it ice-cold. Before he could stop himself, he had turned it and gone inside.

The room was dark, and cleaner than it should have been - no desks, no scattered papers, no bookshelves, only a spray of cards across the floor, as though someone had dropped them. Edo knelt to pick one up. It looked familiar. He followed the trail of cards across the floor until his gaze fell on an outstretched hand, which was attached to an arm, which was attached to...

"Dad?" he said softly.

There was a sudden flare of light, and he looked up to see flames licking across the wooden floorboards and creeping up the walls. Silhouetted against the flames was a familiar figure who laughed wildly as the flames roared around him. Even though everything around him was blackening to cinders, he stood unscathed in the heart of the fire. Edo glared at him, feeling fury rising.

"Not again!" he said. "I won't let you do this again!"

And without thinking, he flung himself at the laughing man, and he went tumbling through the flames as they burned higher and higher...

"Edo, wake up."

Edo twitched a little as the dream's images sank slowly to the bottom of his mind. His pulse was still racing, and he could feel the sweat chilling his skin. It took a moment for him to realize that there was no fire in his room, only cool white moonlight, and the person in his room was no threat to him. Saiou was perched on the edge of his bed, watching him with concern in his eyes. Edo wondered distractedly if they always glowed in the dark like that, or whether this was a new development.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"You were having a nightmare," Saiou replied. "I sensed your distress and came to wake you. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. It was just a dream," said Edo, willing himself to sound confident. Not that it was going to do any good.

"It was him, wasn't it?" Saiou said quietly.

Edo nodded, his throat going tight. "Him... and my dad..."

Saiou slipped his arms around Edo, and Edo allowed himself to be held. It was rare that he let anyone come so close to him, rare that he let anyone comfort him, but wasn't he allowed to be comforted, once in a while? He leaned his head against Saiou's shoulder, taking steadying breaths, making himself concentrate on small, safe, reassuring things. He thought vaguely that Saiou smelled good - like soap and clean water and green tea. He relaxed a little. It had been so long since he had felt completely safe in someone's arms, not since his father had died. The world just hadn't felt safe after that, and his new faster father had not really been the hugging sort... which was probably a good thing, come to think of it. He didn't think he would have wanted to remember that.

It was hard enough already for him to trust people after that fiasco - if someone you had loved and trusted to protect you had turned out to be so deeply deceitful, how could he bring himself to trust other people? Even the ones he had discovered he liked somewhat - people like Ryou and Juudai and Manjoume - left him feeling faintly edgy, wondering just why they were doing what they were doing and whether they really meant any of the kindness they showed him. He never had that problem with Saiou. Edo always knew where he stood with him... especially when they were this close together. His emotions radiated out of him like the warmth from a heater. Edo felt himself growing drowsy again in spite of himself.

"That's right," said Saiou. "No matter what happens, I'm here for you. Do you want me to stay until you fall asleep again?"

Edo made an indeterminate noise.

"I'll be okay," he said, slipping out of Saiou's hold so he could lay down. A little comfort was a fine thing, but he didn't want to go overboard. He didn't like showing weakness even to Saiou.

"That's good," said Saiou. "Rest, now. I will guard your dreams this time."

Edo nodded and closed his eyes. Already the nightmare was fading away into unreality; soon he would have forgotten most of it. He settled down more comfortably, enjoying the serenity of knowing his friend was going to watch over him and keep any more unpleasant thoughts at bay. It was good to feel so safe and protected and...

Just before he fell asleep, in that moment between waking and dreaming, something slipped into his subconscious. It was only a small thought, but it was not his own, and he considered its significance.

_Oh,_ he thought dreamily. _Well, that explains a lot._

He was too sleepy to think about it any more than that. He would deal with it tomorrow, or some other day in the future, when there was time. For now...

Before he could even finish that thought, he dropped into a deep sleep.

* * *

He awoke with sunlight streaming onto his face and the feeling that something had happened, though it took him a moment to remember what. Then he shifted a little and became aware that there was someone else in the bed with him, and opened his eyes to see Saioh sleeping nearby. He was half-seated, propped against the wall, and Edo felt a stab of sympathy for him as he imagined the crick he was going to have in his neck when he woke up. Edo sat up, gently nudged Saiou into a more comfortable position, and tucked his blanket around him. Saiou didn't even twitch. Edo almost laughed. Saiou had always been a slow starter in the morning - not because he was lazy, but simply because his mind tended to wander far afield while he was dreaming, and it took him a while when he woke up to remember which reality he was supposed to be in.

_I wonder how late he stayed up last night?_ he mused. He remembered Saiou promising to guard his dreams, and what little he could remember of them after the nightmare seemed to support that fact. He had vague memories of dreaming he was sitting outside some sort of temple, watching maple leaves drift serenely into a pond. It wasn't the sort of thing he was liable to dream about on his own, but it was exactly the kind of thing that Saiou would have found soothing, and Edo appreciated his kindness in thinking of it.

"If you aren't going to wake up," he told the sleeping figure, "then I'm going to make breakfast. Consider yourself warned."

He dressed swiftly, and then slipped off to the kitchen to see if he could scrounge up something edible. Despite the fact that he had been living there for several weeks now, he still didn't have more than a general idea of where everything was. The truth of the matter was that while Saiou was a surprisingly competent cook, Edo had a habit of leaving out ingredients, or forgetting how long he'd left something on the burner, or else the whole thing just went mysteriously flat. He wasn't allowed to cook anything more complicated than a grilled cheese sandwich, and even then he had to have proper supervision. But he thought he could manage breakfast by himself.

Besides, puttering around in the kitchen gave him a chance to think things over. He had a lot to think about today.

He was just finishing things up when Saiou came wandering dreamily into the kitchen, still wearing the clothes he'd worn yesterday and with his hair in disarray.

"Good morning, Saiou," said Edo. "Sleep well?"

"Not very," Saiou admitted. "Good morning, Edo. What are you up to?"

"Making breakfast."

"I knew I should have checked my cards when I got up. At least I would have known disaster was approaching."

Edo laughed. "I'll have you know I haven't destroyed anything yet. I made fruit and cereal."

"I think that should be safe enough," said Saiou. "In that case, I'll start the tea."

Edo gave a jolt. "Tea!"

He rushed for the stove and removed the teakettle just as its contents were boiling over. It left a steaming puddle on the range.

"I think it's okay," he said sheepishly.

"It may very well be," said Saiou, "but I think I will make do with juice today."

Edo looked at the teapot, with half its water boiled out of it, and poured the rest down the sink. He sat down to a breakfast of fruit and cereal and orange juice. Edo noticed that Saiou was still yawning, and there were dark shadows under his eyes, which seemed to have lost some of their usual luster.

"How late were you up last night, anyway?" Edo asked.

"Late," said Saiou. "I was thinking. I had a few constructive thoughts, however. Don't worry about me. I'll have a nap later and I'll be good as new."

"I'll hold you to that," said Edo. "If you still look like this by the time I get home from work, I'll chase you to bed myself."

Saiou ignored the threat. "I've been figuring out how to discover if DD is alive or not. Something that will be a bit more detailed than the cards."

"Oh, really? How is that?" asked Edo.

"Something I can't do on my own. I'm going to have to call on a friend of mine and ask for help. Travel is difficult for him, so it may be some time before he can pay us a visit."

Edo looked mildly surprised. "A friend? What friend is this? Do I know them?"

"It's someone I met while I was in the hospital. I don't think you've met yet," said Saiou. "And he may not agree to do it. It's not something he enjoys, and I don't blame him. If he refuses, then I will tell you what you missed, and if he does not, you'll see for yourself."

"I think you just enjoy being mysterious," said Edo.

"It does become a habit," said Saiou. "But this is not a pleasant thing I have in mind. I don't want you worrying over it."

"I'm not sure how well that will work, but thanks anyway," said Edo. He gulped down the last of his juice. "At least I'll have something to think about at work if things are slow."

"Are you expecting things to be slow?" asked Saiou.

"It's possible. We're still trying to close in on that counterfeit ring, but we're not making any headway," said Edo. "I should bring you to work. You'd probably figure it all out in no time."

"I have enough work of my own to do," said Saiou with a slight smile, "but if you get stuck, perhaps I can take a few minutes out of my schedule to point you in the right direction."

"I might just take you up on that," Edo replied. "And now I'd better go to work before I end up being late."

"Take care," said Saiou.

Edo gave him a half-smile. "You'll know if anything happens, right?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you should take any unnecessary risks," Saiou replied.

"I'll be good, I promise," said Edo.

True to his word, he drove carefully on his way to work, and kept half an eye out for any sign that someone might be following him, but as far as he could tell, there was no one else around. Occasionally he would pass a car in a hurry to go the other way, but that was all. He was only marginally reassured.

_If one thing doesn't work, he'll try something else,_ he decided. He would just have to be wary - more so than usual.

He arrived at work and went to his locker to put away his things. One of his co-workers was already there, hanging around the coffee urn and eating one of yesterday's doughnuts.

"Evening, Edo," he said with his mouth full.

"Hey, Ian. Is the coffee drinkable? I could use some."

"It's drinkable, that's about it."

"I'll have some anyway," said Edo, helping himself to a styrofoam cup. He filled it, took a sip, grimaced, and began adding sugar and creamer to it.

"You look tired," said Ian. "What's eating you?"

"Different things," Edo replied. "I got some news last night, and I'm still thinking through it all."

"Relationship troubles?" asked Ian slyly.

Edo considered. "Yes. You could say that."

"I figured," said Ian. "You're the kind of guy who attracts girl troubles."

"It's not a girl," said Edo.

Before he could be asked to explain further, there was a commotion near the front of the building, and both of them wandered out of the break room to see if it was anything interesting. A gangly young man, all knees and elbows and Adams' apple, was talking to the man at the front desk.

"...the kind of thing we handle," said the receptionist disapprovingly.

"But that deck was really important!" the lanky stranger said. "It had all my rare cards in it! Can't you do anything? You're supposed to catch card thieves!"

"We catch professionals - organized criminals. We don't go after petty thieves," said the receptionist.

"So how am I supposed to get my cards back?" the other man whined.

"Post a reward or something."

Edo stepped into the room and slid into the stranger's line of sight.

"Excuse me - can I help you?" he asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the man at the desk heave a sigh of relief. The other young man turned to face Edo, and his expression suddenly lit up with an emotion Edo didn't immediately recognize.

"It's you!" he exclaimed. "I mean... you're Edo Phoenix, the pro duelist!"

"I _was_ a pro duelist," said Edo, in the patient tones of one who has had to explain the same thing one too many times. "Now I work here. So. Can I help you?"

"Um... I lost my deck," said the young man, looking suddenly uncomfortable. "I mean, I didn't lose it. Someone stole it - picked it right out of my pocket."

"I see," said Edo. "Well, Roberson was right to tell you that we don't usually deal with pickpockets, but I'll tell you what - write down the names of as many of the cards you lost as you can remember, and if we happen to come across it, we'll let you know. Okay?"

"All right," said the other man. He accepted the paper and pen Edo offered him and began writing. Edo propped himself against the desk and drank his coffee until the young man finally finished his list and departed with a few mumbled words of thanks and a last wide-eyed glance back at Edo. It was rather amusing, really, Edo thought, just how hard it was for some people to adapt to the idea that he had decided not to spend his whole life in the spotlight.

"What was that all about?" asked Roberson.

"I was getting rid of him," Edo said. "If we hadn't done _something_ for him, he would have hung around all day. Now he thinks we're doing something for him, so he'll go away and leave us in peace. Besides," he added, "you never know. Sometimes we do pick up a few small-timers. Maybe he'll get lucky and we'll find his deck somewhere."

"Sometimes you're too nice," said Roberson.

"I'm not nice at all," Edo replied. "I just won't forgive any card thief, no matter how small-time they are. Small-time crooks steal important cards, too."

"You could be right about that," Roberson replied. "But let's focus on the big-time crooks first. The chief should be here in about five minutes for your briefing, but I can fill you in on the broad outline..."

Edo half-listened as the plan was laid out for him. While his co-worker talked, Edo folded up the paper the young man had left, and he tucked it inside the pocket of his suit. He doubted anyone around here would take the complaint seriously, but he still wanted to follow up on it if he could. You never wanted to overlook a clue to a card thief, after all. It just might be important.

* * *

When Edo returned from his day at work, he discovered that once again the front hall was dark. However, he had seen the light burning in Saiou's study, and had a shrewd guess what he'd find when he got there. Sure enough, when he went into the library, he found the computer screen glowing, a number of papers and books piled haphazardly around, and Saiou himself stretched out on the sofa, sound asleep. An open book rested on his chest, its pages crinkled as though it had slipped out of his hands. Edo smiled a little as he carefully picked it up, placing a bookmark into it before setting it on the arm of the sofa where Saiou would hopefully find it later.

_He's going to work himself to death if he keeps this up,_ thought Edo, halfway between amusement and genuine concern.

Edo considered waking him, and then decided against it. It would be difficult work, for one thing, and for another, as long as he looked comfortable where he was, he might as well stay there. Though he might be more comfortable if he at least had a blanket to cover himself. Edo left the room long enough to go to Saiou's bedroom and find a quilt to throw over him. Satisfied that he would sleep peacefully - or if he didn't, it wouldn't be for Edo's lack of trying - Edo saved everything on the computer and turned it off, and then flicked off the lights. Instantly, the room went from someone's cozy study to a magical haunted library, filled with shelves of mystical tomes... which wasn't that far from the truth, Edo mused.

_So what does that make you, Saiou? Sleeping Beauty?_

The thought made Edo smile a little. True, Saiou might not be exactly what Prince Charming was hoping for, but it was still hard to argue with the fact that the moonlight suited him. It gave his fair skin an almost unearthly glow, and added silvery highlights to his dark hair. His long eyelashes, elegant as any woman's, cast fringed shadows over his cheeks. Maybe it was just the clearness of the moonlight that made these tiny details stand out, or maybe it was just that for the first time in a while, Edo wasn't paying attention to anything else but him. It surprised Edo to realize that he had moved a little closer to the sofa while he'd been letting his mind wander, and now he was leaning over his friend as though he really were the handsome prince of a fairy tale. He shook his head at himself.

_Well, would it really be so bad?_ he asked himself. It was a question that had been on his mind a lot lately, and on nights like it this, it was easy to believe the answer was that no, it wouldn't be bad at all. He certainly couldn't ask for a better companion. He was definitely a large improvement on the fangirls who insisted on throwing themselves at him. They knew nothing about him but the public face he had put on when he was determined to be the greatest duelist in the Pro Leagues. Saiou was really the only person who knew him in any way that mattered. As far as he was concerned, it would be just fine if it was always just the two of them.

_Who knew you were so sentimental?_ he thought wryly, but he turned away from his contemplations and walked to his room. He readied himself for sleep, but as he was climbing into bed, he changed his mind. He picked up his blanket and his pillow and carried them back into the study, where he spread them out on the floor next to the sofa.

"Tonight, I'll guard your dreams for a while," he said, and he settled down to sleep.

* * *

Edo was not entirely pleased the next morning when he was awakened by Saioh putting his foot on him, but he agreed in retrospect that it was his own fault for sleeping there in the first place. Saiou, for his part, agreed to sleep in his own bed instead of the sofa from then on. That hadn't prevented Edo from coming home a few nights later and finding Saiou sound asleep in a chair, but Edo had tactfully refrained from saying anything about it.

It was on Edo's next day off that the visitor arrived. Edo hadn't been doing anything of particular interest - the day had been blustery and overcast, so he had opted to stay indoors with a cup of tea and a newspaper, which had kept him occupied most of the morning. Saiou was keeping him company there in the living room, sharing the tea but otherwise being unobtrusive. Most of his attention seemed to be occupied with staring out the window. Edo didn't attach much importance to this fact, since staring dreamily off into space was something Saiou did a lot of, but he did pay attention when Saiou suddenly stood up with his gaze fixed on something definite outside.

"Ah, it seems our guest is on his way," he said, sounding pleased. "It's a good thing I had the foresight to have tea ready."

"You didn't know he was coming?" asked Edo, going to the window to see for himself. There was a long elegant black car winding its way up the slope.

"I knew he was coming. I did not know exactly when. I expected him to arrive later tonight, but it seems he has chosen to get here early. That's fine. There is a good deal we need to talk about before we can begin our undertaking."

"So you can finally stop being mysterious," said Edo, nodding in satisfaction. "Good. If you'd drawn this out any longer, I would not have been responsible for my actions."

Saiou laughed. "I apologize. We'll explain everything as soon as he gets here. Hm..." He trailed off, looking thoughtful. "It occurs to me that he may have to stay the night here. One of us is going to have to give up our room for a little while."

"I will," Edo volunteered.

"You don't have to do that. He's my guest."

"And I'm the one living in the guest bedroom," said Edo. "It won't kill me to spend the night on the sofa. I've slept in worse places. Besides," he added slyly, "you do it all the time, so it must be comfortable."

"All right, all right," said Saiou. "I give up. I will greet our guest, so if you would like some time to tidy up..."

Edo nodded and hurried off to his room to try to make it presentable. He had grown accustomed to having other people to pick up after him, and now that he didn't, it hadn't been easy to instill the habit into himself. Most of the time he was too tired from work to pay any attention to anything as trivial as putting his things away. His room wasn't particularly messy, but it wasn't what he wanted to show a guest, either. He quickly put a stack of magazines on a shelf and shoved an assortment of other odds and ends from the floor to the space beneath the bed, and piled all his laundry into the floor of the closet. Satisfied that the place was at least superficially clean, he headed back to the front room to see if he could get a look at this mysterious visitor.

He found Saiou in earnest conversation with a man in a wheelchair. Edo had been instructed by his publicists that for the sake of his image, he should never call someone an _old_ man or an _old_ woman - it was most polite to speak of them as _elderly_ if he had to mention their age at all - but there was no getting around the fact that this man was old. His features were deeply recessed amid innumerable wrinkles, where they weren't hidden by a long white beard. His eyes seemed to be lost somewhere beneath the shadow of his bushy eyebrows. He looked, Edo thought, like a good stiff breeze might make him blow away in plumes of dust. Edo had seen mummies in museums that looked livelier and healthier. Nevertheless, when he spoke, it was in a deep voice that held an intimation of power to it.

"So, this is the young man at last," he said. "Edo Phoenix. Your friend has told me a great deal about you."

"Nothing too incriminating, I hope," said Edo.

The old man chuckled. "Nothing _too_ incriminating."

"Permit me to introduce you," said Saiou. "Edo, this is Kagemaru. Perhaps you've heard of him."

"Of course," said Edo. And of course he had - not just because Kagemaru had been chairman of Duel Academia before he had stepped down and been replaced by someone less likely to bring the world to an end, but because he was a friend of Saiou's. This was the first time he had put hin a physical appearance while Edo was around, but Saiou often received letters from him. The two of them had a shared interest in the occult, and the old man had been good about sharing his knowledge with a willing pupil. Now that he understood who he was dealing with, Edo began to feel a bit more interested in the proceedings.

"It was very good of you to agree to come and help us," said Saiou to his guest. "I hope it won't be too unpleasant for you."

"I have a feeling it will do some good," Kagemaru replied. "I'm sure it won't tire me nearly so much as the journey did."

"Please rest a while," said Saiou. "There's no need to hurry."

"You're right," Kagemaru agreed. "We can't start until nightfall anyway. Midnight would be best, but it's getting more difficult to stay awake that late..."

"Let me show you the guest room," said Edo. "You can take a nap until it gets dark."

"A wise suggestion," the old man said. He allowed Edo to wheel him to his room but declined any further help. That was fine by Edo. He went to look for Saiou, who turned up in the kitchen, going through cabinets.

"What did I do with those taper candles?" he was saying to himself.

"All right," said Edo, "time to come clean. What are you two plotting?"

"A seance," said Saiou, as though it were obvious.

"A _seance_?" Edo repeated. "You mean, the kind where everyone sits in a circle and holds hands while the spirit of Big Chief Gitcheewatchee comes and tells you that your aunt is doing fine now that she's dead?"

"I mean the kind where you summon a soul from the next world and talk to it," said Saiou. "I'm not able to speak to the dead, but Kagemaru is. He can find out for certain if DD is dead or not."

"Interesting," said Edo doubtfully.

"You don't believe he can do it."

"Well, you know, I never really put my whole faith in this kind of thing," Edo replied. "No offense, of course."

"Of course," said Saiou mildly. "None taken."

"Even if he can do it, I'm not sure I want to see DD again."

"He won't have to stay long," said Saiou. "Just long enough to assure ourselves that he's where he ought to be. And perhaps question him for anything he might know about this matter."

"If he's dead, it means he's not the one doing it. What would he know?"

"The cards did indicate he was involved somehow."

Edo let the matter drop. He was fairly sure he understood now why Saiou had been so closemouthed about the whole matter - if Edo had known what he had up his sleeve, he would have put a stop to it all before it started. Now, though, there was an old man who had traveled across the ocean to come help them, and even Edo wasn't capable of being rude enough to tell him he wasn't needed after all. Better to just grit his teeth and go through with it.

Besides, if he did see DD, maybe he would get the chance to tell him a few things.

The rest of the day was spent fidgeting. At least, that's what Edo did with it. He lurked around in whatever part of the house wasn't being used at the moment, leafing through his cards and trying not to think too much. Saiou stirred about looking for candles and incense and whatever else it was that one used to facilitate a seance. Kagemaru, for his part, remained silent in his room, presumably sound asleep, though perhaps not. Edo had no desire to find out for certain either way.

Edo didn't think he'd ever been so glad to see the sun dip down below the horizon. Hoping to see something happening, Edo wandered back into the kitchen, which was where Saiou seemed to have been focusing his efforts. He found his friend consulting a sheet of paper, which seemed to be a sheet of instructions written in an old man's trembling handwriting. The kitchen itself had undergone a transformation in Edo's absence. The kitchen table, the floor, and segments of the walls and ceiling had been marked on with white chalk. Small piles of dried herbs had been placed in dishes, while more of the same had been sprinkled inside the chalked patterns. A few cones of incense had been placed at strategic points around the room, and six candles had been placed on the table. Saiou stood back a few paces, apparently admiring the effect.

"What do you think?" he asked Edo.

"I had no idea it was going to be this complicated," said Edo. The only magic, if you could call it that, that Edo was used to involved Saiou's unorthodox ways of finding things out, and Mizuchi's tricks with mirrors. Neither of them ever seemed to need to go through all this ritual.

"If it were easy, everyone would do it," Saiou observed. "And Kagemaru is not a young man. A bit of assistance would not go amiss."

"I see," said Edo. Privately, he interpreted this as an admission that Saiou didn't think this was going to come to anything. He wondered why he was going through all this trouble for something that didn't seem likely to work. Was it because he was so used to finding supernatural solutions to things that he was prepared to overlook more mundane solutions in favor of one, no matter how much of a long shot it was? Or was this just one of those things that seers did on instinct without thinking them through?

Edo had a feeling that the night was going to end with no ghostly manifestations at all. After all, if nothing showed up, it _might_ mean that DD was still alive. Or it might mean that the old man simply didn't have it in him, and all these herbs and candles were nothing more useful than so many Halloween decorations. He was more likely to bet on the latter.

Saiou raised an eyebrow at him. "Second thoughts? Haven't you ever heard that a seance won't work if there's an unbeliever present?"

"I'm still working on my first thoughts," Edo said, knowing Saiou was teasing him. "This isn't my deal. You know that. If I can't play a card against it or put a pair of handcuffs on it, I'll leave it up to you."

"Now, that's not true. You have many more talents than that," said Saiou. "But have a little faith. Kagemaru may be weak physically, but he has enough talent to make up for it. You'll see."

"I'll trust you, then," Edo replied.

"You're sure?"

Edo smiled. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Saiou walked to the window and raised the edge of one curtain. The sky outside had darkened from sunset pink to deepest blue, the same shade as Saiou's hair.

"It's almost time," he said. "I'll go call Kagemaru. You sit," he instructed, pointing at a chair, "and kindly do not undo any of my hard work. I would hate to have to start over."

"I'll be very careful," Edo promised. He took a seat with exaggerated care. Saiou chuckled softly at him before gliding out of the room.

A few moments passed. Edo fidgeted, caught himself at it, and forced himself to sit still again. The scent of the herbs made him want to sneeze, and his eyes watered with the effort of holding it back. He hoped that Saiou would come back soon. He also hoped that he could get through this ordeal without accidentally sneezing one of the candles out. They were unlit just now, and the kitchen was lit only by what little light was coming in through the window. Maybe it was just all the talk about summoning the dead, but the usually comfortable kitchen was giving him an itchy feeling of unseen forces moving around him.

A squeaking sound made him jump, and he looked up to see Kagemaru wheeling his way in, the wheels of his chair squeaking against the polished wood floor. Edo relaxed back into his chair, feeling his heart racing.

_Maybe I believe a little more than I thought I did._

"Very professional work, Saiou," said Kagemaru, as he worked his way expertly through the patterns on the floor. He looked a bit more energetic than he had the last time Edo had seen him; obviously his rest had done him some good. "Light the candles and incense, please, and then I think we can begin."

Saiou did as he was told, and then took his place in the one empty chair. Kagemaru extended one bony hand to him. Saiou accepted it, and clasped Edo's with his other hand. Edo rather reluctantly completed the circle. The old man's grip was surprisingly strong. Saiou's hand felt cool and smooth and reassuring, and caused Edo to wonder fleetingly if he'd ever actually held Saiou's hand like this before.

However, all such thoughts were driven out of his head as Kagemaru began to chant. It was not a language Edo recognized - he thought it sounded a bit like Latin, and here and there he even felt like he recognized a word, but he could never quite be sure. The chant grew slowly louder as Kagemaru seemed to find his stride, and his deep voice echoed around the room and overlapped itself until it seemed to form a whole new set of words. It was like looking at the picture of a rabbit and suddenly realizing it was a duck, or looking at a vase and seeing two faces, and it made Edo dizzy just to listen to it.

Then, a breeze began to stir. It made the candles flicker and cast wild shadows on the wall; it made the piles and rows of herbs swirl up in tiny whirlwinds; it tugged at the curtains and at Saiou's long hair. It caught the smoke of the incense and lifted it up into the air above the table, spinning it into a pillar. As the breeze grew stronger, the candles sputtered out one by one, but by then they were no longer needed, because the smoke was putting out a pale blue glow all by itself. There seemed to be a shape in it.

Kagemaru stopped speaking, and the wind died down in an instant. There was an empty silence, such as there might have been before the beginning of time, a silence that suggested that there was no noise because there was nothing left to make it. But then something spoke.

"Hello, Edo," it said quietly.

Edo didn't say anything. He just stared blankly at the pale shape that hung in the air in front of him. The smoke had taken on the shape of a man, one that Edo knew well. His clothing looked ragged in a way that didn't seem to have anything to do with the fact that it was composed of wisps of smoke just now. There was a haggardness to his face and a darkness in his eyes that Edo had never seen in him during his life. It dawned on him suddenly that DD was being punished for his crimes - that they had just dragged a tortured soul out of hell, or purgatory, or wherever it was wicked souls went, and the realization went down Edo's spine like a bucket of ice water. For the first time in his life, he wanted to go running out of the room and hide under the bed until it was properly light out, and maybe not even then. He swallowed hard.

"Don't be afraid," said DD in that same weary voice. "I'm not going to hurt you. I can't. Even if I wanted to, you've got me bound. I'm at your mercy." He offered a strained smile.

Edo still wasn't sure what to say. All the hate-filled words he had rehearsed in the back of his head all day refused to come. He was rescued by Saiou, who spoke as calmly as though DD were only a guest who had come over for tea.

"We had some questions we wanted to ask," said Saiou. "Are you willing to answer them?"

DD gave a shrug. "What else can I do? You've got so many bindings on me that I couldn't lie if I wanted to. Not that I blame you. But I'm not allowed to answer everything."

"Fair enough," said Saiou. "In that case... are you aware of a plot against Edo's life?"

"Yes."

"Do you have something to do with it?"

"Yes."

"Is it something you engineered?"

"No," said DD firmly. "It might be my fault, but I swear I didn't do it on purpose."

"Right," said Edo. "You were planning on killing me yourself, weren't you?"

"Not... planning, exactly," said DD, looking pained. "Edo, listen... I know things didn't begin well for us..."

"Oh, _that's_ a nice way to put it," said Edo acidly.

"All right, all right. I admit that when I adopted you I didn't see you as anything other than a way to keep the police off my trail. But I did my best for you. I hadn't meant to kill your father, but once I did it I knew I couldn't undo it, so I... I did my best," he repeated.

"Sure," said Edo. "And what was that on the boat, a little misunderstanding?"

"It was the Light, mostly," said DD. "I didn't want to let it control me, but it was too strong. I held off as long as I could, but... I was weak, and it hated you, and it wanted me to hate you too."

Edo looked doubtful. Saiou stepped into the conversation again, mercifully guiding it away from those painful topics.

"Do you know who is trying to hurt him now?" he asked.

"Not precisely," said DD, looking uncomfortable. "It's no one I've ever met before. All I can say for sure is that it's someone who is suffering because of something I did, and it's someone close to you. Geographically close, that is - not someone you know well."

"You say, 'not someone you know well'," Kagemaru cut in. "Is it someone he's met before?"

"Yes," said DD. "But don't ask me where or when."

"Thank you," said Saiou. "You've been most informative."

"The least I could do," DD answered wryly.

"Is there anything else you care to say before we undo the bindings?" asked Kagemaru.

"Not much. Only..." He turned his eyes back to Edo. "I know you won't believe this, but I really did care about you. I wish I could have been a better father to you. If only..."

And then he was gone.

There was silence in the room. Edo was the first to get up. The scraping of his chair against the floor sounded unnaturally loud in the still room.

"I think I've heard enough," he said, and walked out of the kitchen.

He started to go to his room, remembered that someone was supposed to be using it, and changed direction to head for Saiou's room instead. He didn't care where he went just now, as long as it was somewhere that was _away_. He wished he had never agreed to any of this. As soon as he was inside the room, he closed the door tightly and lay down on the bed, burying his face in the pillow and trying to blot out the rest of the world. His throat burned as though he might start to cry, but he bit it back, forcing himself to take deep breaths. A comforting sort of scent clung to the pillow - Saiou's scent - and it slowly calmed him.

Edo wasn't sure how long he had been lying there before he heard the sound of the door being opened, and he knew without looking who had opened it.

"Are you all right?" asked Saiou.

"Yeah, kind of," Edo replied. More quietly he said, "It was a lot easier when I could hate him with a clean conscience."

"Don't fool yourself," said Saiou. "There aren't many people in this world you can hate with a clear conscience. That's something I should have known too."

He sat down on the edge of the bed and rested a hand on Edo's back. Edo sighed.

"Saiou, why are you the only one who makes sense?" he said.

"Because you know me," Saiou replied. "And because I try to do my best for you. I may be confusing at times, but never on purpose."

"You aren't confusing," said Edo. "I can always see right through you."

Saiou chuckled. "A comforting thought."

Edo rolled over so that he could meet Saiou's eyes. Once again, he was struck by the way his eyes seemed to shine slightly in the dark.

"Saiou, can I ask a favor?" said Edo.

"Of course. Ask whatever you like."

"I know I said I'd sleep on the couch tonight, but... do you mind if I stay here? With you, I mean," he said, feeling his cheeks heat slightly. "I'm not usually afraid of ghosts, but I don't usually get that close to them, either."

"I understand," Saiou said. "Of course you can stay here."

"Thanks." Edo sat up, feeling a bit more like himself. "I guess I can't hide here all night."

"You can't sleep in your day clothes, either," Saiou pointed out. "Go get changed. I'll wait up for you."

Edo did as he was told, quickly retrieving his pajamas and slipping off to the bathroom to change. When he returned to Saiou's room, he found his friend was already tucked into bed, reading by the light of a single lamp. Edo smiled a little, recognizing one of the battered paperback fantasy novels that were Saiou's guilty pleasure. It had been a comfort to him, growing up, to read stories of other people who were gifted with unusual talents, and who had been able to make good use of them and become heroes instead of being rejected and despised. He didn't even look up as Edo slipped into place, which suited Edo just fine.

"Goodnight, Saiou," said Edo as he closed his eyes.

"Goodnight, Edo. Sleep peacefully."

Saiou kept the light on a while longer - finishing his chapter, Edo thought - before finally setting his book aside and turning off the lamp. He settled down under the blankets and became still. Edo remained awake a while longer, listening to the sound of Saiou's breathing. He wasn't ready to sleep just yet, but lying here like this was just fine by him. In fact, if he could have stayed there all night without sleeping, he would have preferred that over the dreams he suspected were waiting for him, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep his eyelids from drooping. With a sigh, he shifted a bit so that he was resting against Saiou's side.

When he fell asleep at last, he dreamed only of rain.

****

To Be Continued...


	4. Pursuit and Capture

****

Pursuit and Capture

**By: SilvorMoon**

It would have been nearly impossible for one of Edo's casual fans to recognize him. Even someone who knew him well probably would have needed a second look, and they weren't going to get that in this murky place. Considering how recognizable he was, Edo had been forced to become something of a master of disguise for a lot of these jobs, and he had found he enjoyed it. It was fun to have everyone around him so convinced that he was someone else, when if they just paid attention, they might realize that he was nothing like what he seemed to be. It was really just an extension of the way he convinced his admirers that he was the perfect gentleman.

Tonight, though, he was not pretending to be a perfect gentleman. Tonight, he was going to be an underground duelist by the name of Brett "The Bear" Baer, who had been the star attraction in this particular circuit for the past few meetings. A wig gave him untidy brown hair, spiky in front and caught into a loose ponytail in the back, and contacts changed his blue eyes to a muddy green. Stage makeup darkened his fair skin to tan. His rough clothing was padded, to add the illusion of muscle to his slight frame, as well as to give him a place to stash a few of his tools of the trade. The heavy boots he wore had thick soles that added an inch or two of height to him. He enhanced the look by speaking in a growl laced heavily with crude words, and by adapting his usual graceful stride into a clodhopper's plod. To look at him, he could have been dragged off of any dock or warehouse in the city. There was just one thing he needed to make the look complete.

"Gear up," the man standing next to him said gruffly, and Edo silently submitted to having a variety of spiked black cuffs fitted to a variety of body parts. Two went over his wrists, two more over his ankles, another around his neck, and a third that went around his waist with a small plate extending slightly downwards, making it look like some form of demonic chastity belt. He hated wearing the thing, but it was a requirement in these kinds of twisted games. The difference was that the shady man posing as his manager was actually one of his co-workers from the police force, and the collars had all been altered to make sparks and noise, but not to actually hurt. Even so, Edo hated to think of what it would feel like if a _real_ shock got let off down there.

_Why does anyone put themselves through this?_ Edo wondered, as he watched his opponent putting on his own gear. This one was only a kid - he guessed it was probably a school graduate who hadn't been able to make the contacts to get into the Pro League and had been lured down here with promises of easy fame and fortune in the dueling world. Edo really hoped he wouldn't have to battle him.

Luckily, he might not have to. It had taken some time to gather all the evidence they needed to catch all the ringleaders behind this particular underground circuit, but it had finally paid off. These people had been clever enough to change their location every week - to a school auditorium, to the courthouse basement, even the social hall of a church. They didn't seem to care what they defiled, as long as it had room enough to hold everything. But they had been caught nonetheless, and before the night was over, they were going to get a rude surprise.

The announcer - a man with a clear voice who worked by day at a local radio station - announced the players for the night, and Edo stepped into the arena and listened to the door of the cage close behind him. There was no getting out for him now - or so they thought.

The duel began. Edo brought out a strong defense monster - not one from his personal deck; he had to use one that was a bit less recognizable - and then began biding his time. He let the other boy score a few hits, retaliating just enough to keep it from being too obvious that he was losing on purpose.

_He's not a bad player. A pity. He deserves better than this,_ Edo mused. Hopefully the boy would get off with a light sentence when all this was over.

Edo was just reaching the point where he was beginning to think he would have to strike back or risk the duel ending too soon, when there was a commotion in the back of the auditorium. Various members of the audience turned to squint through the smoky air to see what was going on.

"All right, this duel stops now!" said an authoritative voice. "Everyone put your hands on the tables and keep them there! We've got all the exits blocked, so don't even think about trying to get out. You're all under arrest for participating in illegal underground dueling..."

"Sorry, kid, the show's over," said Edo to his opponent in his normal voice. He headed for the cage's gate, which his "manager" was politely opening for him. "No hard feelings, huh?"

The poor boy looked baffled. "Wait, but..."

Edo ignored him. He reached into the pocket of the coat he was wearing and took out a handful of plastic pull-ties. They were lighter and more compact to carry than handcuffs, and they would do just about as well for this crowd. Most of them weren't hardened criminals. These were the city's elite, here to enjoy themselves at the expense of those less fortunate. Edo felt no pity as he began binding their wrists. It seemed appropriate, considering what they thought the duelists they were watching should wear.

It was while he was making the rounds that he noticed a couple of people who looked vaguely familiar. Some of them had looked familiar because Edo had seen their pictures in the newspaper before - quite a few of them were local celebrities, politicians and the like. These were different, though, and he couldn't place them. That was no surprise, since most of the attendees at these events wore masks to protect their identities, so that it would be more difficult for others to report them. Since they were keeping Edo from recognizing the two men he had just finished trussing up, he removed them.

He stared a moment. Then he began to laugh.

"Of all the people I could find here..." he said.

"What's so funny?" asked one of his co-workers from where he was handcuffing a portly gentleman nearby.

"I know these guys," said Edo. "They're not from around here. Mind keeping an eye on them for a minute? I've got to make a phone call."

"Sure, no problem," his comrade replied. "I think we've got most of it under control."

Edo nodded and ambled off under the suspicious stares of the two well-dressed men. Edo had a feeling they had no idea who he was yet - no surprise, since he was still in costume - but they would probably get the idea soon enough. He found a private spot where he could talk without being overheard, and looked up a number in his autodial. The phone rang several times before someone finally answered him.

"This had better be good," said the voice on the other end. "I happen to be a very busy man."

"Yeah, and it's thanks to me that you're busy in the Pro Leagues and not busy asking people if they want fries with that," Edo retorted.

"Oh, it's _you_," said Manjoume. "All right, fine, maybe I have time to talk to you. What's up?"

"Do you know where your big brothers are?"

"In America somewhere," Manjoume answered. "I heard something about them making a business deal there, but I don't keep tabs on what they get up to. Why? Did they do something interesting?"

"I just arrested them."

"Good! Somebody should have," said Manjoume firmly.

"Thought you'd think so," said Edo.

"So what did they do, anyway? Their business deal turn out to be something illegal?"

"Even better," Edo replied. "They turned up at an underground duel."

There was a hiss on the other end of the line, and Edo didn't blame him one bit. It was one thing to have nowhere else to go to duel, but to actually pay to see that kind of cruelty perpetrated on someone was something that would revolt any true duelist. The lawkeeping body didn't take too kindly to it, either - often the spectators were punished more harshly than the duelists themselves were.

"They'd better get some jail time for this," said Manjoume.

"Probably not," Edo replied. "Usually it's just a fine - but it'll be all over the news by morning. Their reputation is going to be shot. They'd have been better off if they'd been caught with a prostitute. At least that's practically expected."

"So where are they now?" Manjoume asked.

"Last I saw them? Trussed up in plastic handcuffs, waiting to be hauled off to jail."

"Great. Send pictures."

"I suppose I will," said Edo. Feeling playful, he added, "Oh, by the way, I meant to tell you - I saw your friend Asuka the other day. She was out at the mall with some guy."

He was rewarded with a noise that sounded something like "Erk!", and he laughed.

"I'm pretty sure it was her brother," Edo continued innocently. "Taller than her, long brown hair, wearing a Hawaiian flowered shirt - does that sound like him?"

The relief on the other end of the line was palpable. "Yeah, that's him."

"Thought so," said Edo. "I talked to her for a little while. She says she misses the old crowd. Maybe you ought to go visit her."

"You could be right," Manjoume agreed thoughtfully.

"Well, I've done my good deed for the day," said Edo, "so I'm going to let you go. Any messages you want me to give your brothers?"

He was rewarded by a stream of colorful invective. Edo listened with an amused smile as it went on and on.

"Thanks," he said. "I didn't know some of those words."

"You're welcome," said Manjoume. "I guess I owe you one."

"Of course you do," Edo answered smugly. "But I'll claim it later. Right now I've got work to do."

He turned off the phone and headed back out to the main action. There was, predictably, a commotion going on, as various important personages complained that they were too important to be arrested and hustled off in police cars. The Manjoume brothers were being particularly vocal, demanding diplomatic immunity. Edo didn't even try not to laugh as he approached them.

"You really don't know anything, do you?" he asked them. "Dueling law is universal. We can ship you back to Japan to be tried if you want, but you're not getting off the hook no matter where you go. I advise staying here. It'll save on airfare."

The two of them gave him identical sour looks.

"Who do you think you are, talking to us like that?" said one of them.

"I happen to be Edo Phoenix. Maybe you've heard the name," Edo drawled.

"What? You aren't..." The elder brother stared hard at Edo's face, and his eyes widened. "It is you!"

"Wow. I totally wouldn't have figured that out on my own," said Edo, rolling his eyes. "It's amazing you haven't gotten yourselves arrested sooner. If it were up to me, I'd have had you both put away a long time ago, just on general principle."

Another policeman strolled up to the table. "Okay, you two, time to go. We've got first- class accommodations ready for you celebrities."

"Wait, not just yet," said Edo.

The brothers looked at him warily, as if hoping for but not quite expecting a reprieve. Edo took out his cell phone.

"Your little brother asked me to get pictures of you two getting put behind bars," Edo told them. "Say cheese!"

The two of them glowered, looking ready to pop from sheer fury. The policeman marched them out of the room, and Edo followed cheerfully behind them, snapping pictures as they went.

* * *

Rain came down - not fiercely, but persistently, as though it knew its job and was determined to get it done thoroughly. Saiou made his morning trip to the mailbox at a run, his feet splashing along the wet front walk. He reached the end of the path, snatched the mail out of its box and tucked it firmly under one arm, and then dashed back to the house again. Even moving at top speed, he still returned with his hair slicked against his back from the damp, and the cuffs of his pants were soaked through.

"You could have at least worn a raincoat," said Edo, as Saiou took off his sodden shoes at the door.

"I don't mind," said Saiou. "It's only a bit of water."

"You're going to be damp all day," Edo said, "and you know it, too."

Nevertheless, he took the mail away from Saiou and began sorting it while Saiou began wringing water out of his hair. Edo wondered, as he sorted disinterestedly through the junk mail, why Saiou had never tried to cut it. It was surely a nuisance to him, but he never showed any inclination to do anything about it. Still, he really wouldn't look like himself if it were cut short...

He was distracted from that line of thought by finding a letter with his name on it. Edo inspected it and found no return address, or anything else that would reveal where it had come from. A closer inspection led him to the conclusion that there was nothing inside but paper, probably a single sheet, so with a shrug, he tore it open and pulled out the contents.

"Oh for God's sake!" he exclaimed.

"What have you got?" asked Saiou, coming up behind him.

In response, Edo waved a piece of paper at him. Someone had scrawled the word "BLOOD" in large red letters across it.

"What do you make of this?" he said.

"I believe it's paint," said Saiou. He took the paper out of Edo's hand. "Obviously someone's poor attempt to scare you."

"Hm," said Edo. "Funny thing to write on a threat. Why not write _die_ or _doom_ or something like that?"

"Those sound like something from your deck," Saiou observed, with a hint of humor.

Edo's puzzled expression brightened. "You know, you could be on to something. If this has something to do with DD, then it could be a reference to-"

"The Bloo-D," Saiou finished.

"Exactly," said Edo. "I feel like we're getting warm, with this. Thanks for the hint, whoever you are." He folded up the paper. "I'll just hang on to this."

"Best to put it away, then, or you'll lose it," said Saiou.

Edo nodded and carried it off to his room, where he stashed it in a desk drawer amid a jumble of other odds and ends that he meant to get to eventually. He slammed the drawer shut a bit harder than was strictly necessary, but that could hardly be held against him. He was annoyed. Not only was someone apparently bent on killing him, but they were doing it so _badly_. If he had been up against a clever, challenging opponent, he might have been able to enjoy it, but to go up against someone whose ideas seemed to be limited to sending childish threats and hiring teenaged street thugs.

What was even more irritating was that so far, he hadn't actually managed to find this person and do anything about them yet. If they had been someone of any importance, it would be easy to find a few contacts and work his way to the source of the problem, but finding one lone nutcase in a city full of people who, as far as Edo was concerned, were nearly as crazy, was going to be a difficult job. He might never know who he was up against until they were face to face, and then it might be too late...

As Edo returned to the living room, a scowl still fixed on his face, he almost didn't realize what the object in his path was. He blinked at it a few times until his distracted mind caught up to the present and informed him that Saiou was holding a neatly folded umbrella in front of him.

"Shall we go for a walk?" he asked.

Edo smiled slowly. "You always know the right thing to say."

"It's part of my job," said Saiou modestly.

He opened the door, letting in a gust of rain-scented air as he flicked the umbrella open with a graceful gesture. Edo took his place beneath it and fell into step alongside Saiou. They followed a winding path into the garden. The sound of the rain pattering on the umbrella soothed Edo's nerves. The damp garden was full of green scents and the smell of damp earth. It was relaxing just to walk through it without speaking, his hand not quite touching Saiou's as it rested on the handle of the umbrella. As he relaxed, his worries and frustrations began to dissipate as well.

_I'll find the guy somehow. I can't miss him, with Saiou helping me. He wouldn't let me get hurt. If anyone were going to hurt me, he'd know a week in advance and give me a warning._

Saiou seemed to sense his thoughts - no surprises there - and gave him a small smile.

"Feeling better now?"he asked.

"Yeah. Thanks," said Edo. "Days like this, I'm glad I came here. If I were still a professional duelist right now, I'd have a lot of people hanging around who would bring me whatever I asked for, but none of them would think to cheer me up by telling me to go walk in the rain."

"None of them could get away with it," Saiou pointed out.

"True. Walks in the rain are only for you."

"For us."

"Yes. That's it exactly," said Edo.

They paused a moment, admiring a particularly picturesque bit of scenery, but mostly just not caring whether they were making any forward progress or not. Edo sighed a little.

"Do you think I could get away with just staying here like this?"

"You would get bored," said Saiou. "I know you. You aren't happy without a challenge."

Edo laughed. "You know me too well."

"I've picked up a few things," Saiou agreed.

"And you still put up with me?"

"Now more than ever," said Saiou.

"You know," said Edo, "when I came here, I really did mean to only stay a couple of weeks - long enough to scout out a place of my own. But now that I'm here, I can't imagine anyplace else I'd rather be."

"I wouldn't want you to leave," Saiou answered quietly.

"You're sure?" asked Edo. "I know I can be kind of a jerk sometimes..."

"Not to me. You've already done so much good for me since you came here," said Saiou. "You helped me find something I thought I had lost forever."

"You would have figured it out on your own eventually."

"I don't think so," said Saiou. "But be that as it may, I've been happy since you came here. Probably happier than I've been in years. I wouldn't mind if you never left."

"That's what I want, too."

There was a breathless moment as they both stood looking into each other's eyes. The rain pattered gently down on the umbrella and hid the rest of the world with a silver curtain. The two of them could have been alone in the universe. An expression crossed Saiou's face as though he were going to say something, but he turned away instead. Edo quickly moved so that they were facing each other again.

"Come on, spill," he said. "What is it?"

"It's nothing," said Saiou.

"If it was nothing, it wouldn't matter whether you said it or not," said Edo. "Humor me."

He placed a hand on Saiou's face, preventing from dodging again. Saiou closed his eyes and sighed.

"Go on," Edo urged. "I may not be a mind reader, but I know you. Even if you try to hide something from me, I'll figure it out. So you might as well say it and get it over with."

"Very well. When you put it that way..." said Saiou. "What I was going to say is... I love you."

Edo grinned. "There, see? I knew that already."

"You did?" said Saiou. There weren't a lot of things that surprised him, but obviously that had done it. "When did you...?"

"When I had the nightmare, and you stayed with me," said Edo. "Maybe it was because we were both half-asleep at the time - I think some of your thoughts were spilling into mine. I heard you thinking it."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was waiting for you to get up the courage to tell me. I figured you would, when you were ready," said Edo. "Besides, I wanted some time to think about it. It is a little awkward finding out your best friend is in love with you - it takes some getting used to."

"A little awkward," Saiou repeated, looking crestfallen.

"A little," Edo agreed. "But I thought it over, and I decided it's okay. Because there's really no one else in the world I care about more than you. I can't imagine ever wanting anyone else in my life. So it's probably a good thing you feel the same way."

"Edo..." said Saiou softly, and didn't get any further than that, because Edo had tugged him a bit closer, just close enough to kiss him, and he was discovering that this was enough to occupy all his attention. The umbrella slowly slid from his grip and landed on the ground.

A few minutes later, a stray gust of wind found its way into the garden and sent the umbrella tumbling and rolling off to some forgotten place where they would never see it again, but neither of them opened their eyes or even noticed that it was gone.

* * *

"Phoenix, pay attention!" the chief snapped, and Edo guiltily fixed his eyes to the front once more.

"That's better. Just because you're a washed-up celebrity doesn't mean you get a free pass to goof off," said the chief, and continued with his speech.

Edo endeavored to pay attention to it. The barb about being a washed-up celebrity stung - not because he really believed he was washed up, but because he hated to think anyone thought he had only gotten the job because he was famous. He had worked hard to prove that he could hold his own with the best of them, but there were always rumors that his capture rate was due to the superiors giving him cream-puff assignments, or that all the real work was done by his backup team and all he ever did was stand around and look pretty. He knew it wasn't true - he voluntarily took some of the most dangerous and delicate missions that came up, and had nevertheless maintained an excellent success rate. Still, unless they were one of those who volunteered for those same missions, it was hard for him to prove to other people that he was actually working. Convincing his mind that listening to the chief lecture counted as "working" was also a job.

His daydreams had been more interesting to him by far, no matter how unproductive they might have been. It had been some days since he and Saiou had taken that walk in the rain, and Edo was still working his way through the finer details of this new situation. It was surprisingly like the old situation. The two of them had never really been the most demonstrative of people - it would take more than a little thing like a love confession to make them start clinging to each other and spouting poetry. It was enough that the knowledge was there. The only outward signs were occasional small moments - their hands touching for a few seconds over the dinner table, or one of them running his finger's through the other's hair as they passed each other. Also, they hadn't slept in the same bed, or even the same general area, since that conversation. It wasn't something they had talked about. They both just seemed to feel that it would be inviting the temptation to things they weren't ready for yet, so they maintained a careful distance.

A guy could dream, though... even if doing it during meetings was a bad idea.

Fortunately, he hadn't missed very much - the talk was essentially what they got every time they ran one of these sorts of missions. Tonight there would be yet another attempt to nail down the counterfeit ring they had been chasing, and no one wanted any mistakes. They wouldn't live it down if they actually managed to find these people only to have them slip through their fingers because someone did something foolish. This wasn't the kind of mission Edo liked - he preferred the ones where he actually got to engage his target in a battle of wits. This was going to be straightforward: gather around the building where they suspected the operation was taking place, guard all the exits, and then burst in and arrest anyone they could lay hands on. It wouldn't be the most fun Edo had ever had, but if it got the desired result, he wouldn't complain.

Once they had been over the plan so many times that even Edo's wandering mind had managed to piece together all the details, the group departed for their destination - a warehouse in one of the seedier parts of town. On paper, it was being used to store furniture; in reality, they suspected it housed the printing machinery needed to make the copy cards. Even in the unlucky event that there was no one home, they were at least hoping that they might be able to confiscate the machinery.

The team gathered in a parking lot within sighting distance of the warehouse and began dividing themselves up.

"You two keep an eye on the roof," Chief Barnes was saying. "You three guard the back exit. Phoenix, you feel like kicking in a few doors?"

"Always," he agreed.

"Then we'll go in through the front. All right, everyone, get in position. Move out!"

The team began breaking off into singles and sets, preparing to block each of the building's exits. Edo paced, anxious to get going, but there was no point in going to "kick in doors" as his superior put it, unless there was already someone there to catch the prey when it was flushed out. Edo knew that, but he still hated waiting. His footfalls made a steady sound like the ticking of a clock as he walked back and forth, his eyes fixed steadily on the lit windows of the building in front of him.

There was a hiss of static, and then a voice speaking through the chief's radio: "In position. Awaiting your orders."

"Hold tight. We're going in," the chief replied, and turned to Edo. "Ready?"

"Always," Edo agreed.

They edged their way to the front door, trying to avoid well-lit areas. There weren't very many of those around, in this part of town - even the street lights gave off little more than a sickly glow that lit only a few yards of chipped sidewalk. Edo felt his pulse rate pick up as they approached the entryway. He pressed his ear to the door, listening for signs of life. He could hear an electric hum, and more faintly, something that sounded like human voices. He nodded to the chief, who nodded back, and they both stepped away.

Then they kicked the door down. The two of them together packed a powerful punch, and the rickety old door came apart with a satisfying spray of dust and splinters.

"Everybody freeze! You're under arrest!" Chief Barnes bellowed. His voice echoed around the spaces of the building, with no response. There was no one there.

Edo slipped past his superior and began walking through the room. There was an electric fan propped on a table near the front of the building, giving off the hum Edo had heard through the door. A television sat nearby, blaring out the evening news, and Edo turned it off in annoyance.

"Wrong place again," said the chief with a muttered curse.

"Right place, wrong time," Edo corrected. He was examining the litter strewn around the table. There was a cup of coffee sitting there, and it was not quite cold yet. A further inspection revealed the remnants of a pizza in a trash can. "They were here not too long ago. We must have just barely missed them."

"Huh. Looks like you're right," the chief agreed. He walked slowly across the empty floor. Then he stopped. He picked up something off the floor - some small dark scrap that Edo had only observed as a piece of litter. Once it had been lifted up where he could see it properly, he recognized it at once. It was a card - the Black Magician. "We just missed them, and they knew we were coming. The damn punks are laughing at us!"

Edo was forced to agree. He couldn't imagine any other reason why anyone who had cleaned this place out so thoroughly would leave behind such a valuable card, right in the middle of the room where they would be sure to find it.

The chief muttered savagely under his breath a while longer, and then turned on his radio to tell the rest of the crew that they'd missed out again. Edo couldn't quite hear the replies, but he could tell they sounded disappointed. He kicked the leg of a table, but it didn't make him feel any better.

"These guys better _wish_ we find them soon," he said, "because the longer this goes on, the more I want to cut them into tiny little pieces."

"You'll have your chance," said the chief, but he didn't sound very sure of himself. Edo couldn't really blame him.

_These guys are like ghosts. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear they were magical._

But of course they weren't. Saiou would have told him if it were. Which made it all the more annoying, because it meant he was being outsmarted by ordinary human beings. He would have preferred to have magic to blame it on.

It was a downcast group that returned to the station that night. All of them had been so convinced that this, surely, was the night they would have their big breakthrough.

"I just don't know what we're doing wrong," the chief muttered. "We were so close..."

There were murmurs of commiseration. From the back of the room, one of the newer recruits said, "I know what we could do."

Everyone looked at him, most of them with suspicion. He blinked a little at them, but he went on determinedly.

"I saw on TV one time where the police couldn't find any more clues, so they hired a psychic," he said. "People do it, seriously."

"You're outta your mind," said one of the others. "That only works on TV."

"No really, it's true," said the new recruit. "The psychic told them where to look and they found the guy. It was a true story."

"A lucky guess," someone scoffed.

The chief snorted. "You know what? Right now I'd take advice from a dancing monkey if it could help us catch these crooks."

"Well, I don't know any dancing monkeys," said Edo, "but I do know a psychic. Do you want me to ask him?"

A few people laughed. Someone said, "Nice one, Phoenix." Edo maintained his calm.

"He's a Tarot reader, actually," he said. "He's very accurate."

"Huh," said the chief doubtfully.

Edo shrugged. "He said he'd help if you got stuck, so I thought I'd mention it."

"He did, huh? Well, what the hell," said Barnes. "If he's not busy, bring him around sometime. He can't do any worse than the rest of us."

"I'm sure he'll be delighted to hear that," said Edo with a touch of sarcasm.

"Hey, it's been a long day, okay?" Barnes said. "Listen, if you're really serious, I'll listen to whatever he has to say. All right?"

"Fair enough," said Edo. "I'll ask him when I get home tonight, and see if he's not too busy."

"What is he going to be busy doing? Reading tea leaves?"

Edo gave him a warning look. "He doesn't read tea leaves. I told you, he's a Tarot reader. But his day job is working for Industrial Illusions as one of Pegasus's personal research assistants, so don't go treating him like some kind of crazy hack. Got it?"

"Right. Whatever," said the chief. He was obviously tired of the subject, so Edo decided not to push it any further.

He did tell Saiou, though. He wanted the criminals caught as much as anyone did, and if Saiou couldn't help, no one could... unless, of course, Saiou was too busy with his own work to have the time to travel all that way. However, when Edo arrived home that evening, he found Saiou standing next to a fax machine with a satisfied expression on his face as he fed papers through it. Edo caught glimpses of arcane diagrams and peculiar symbols sketched all over them.

"And if that doesn't please him, nothing will," said Saiou. He glanced up from his work to smile at Edo. "Hello. How was work?"

"Not so great," said Edo, dropping into a nearby chair. "We missed the guys we were trailing by _that much_. If we'd been another hour earlier, we would have caught them. It drives me crazy!"

"Do you want help?" asked Saiou. "I just finished a job for Pegasus, so I have a bit of free time."

"That's what I was hoping you'd say," said Edo. "I talked to the chief today, and he's so strung out over this thing, he's ready to listen to anyone who might be able to help."

"I wouldn't do it for him," Saiou replied, "but if it will help you..."

"Believe me, it will."

"...then I would be happy to."

"Great," said Edo. "You should come to work with me, anyway, just to see what it's like. Reading it out of my mind doesn't count," he joked.

"Now, you know I don't read your mind," said Saiou, "unless it's important. But I would like a look at your workplace, if only out of curiosity."

"I'll give you the grand tour," Edo promised.

"I'll look forward to it," said Saiou.

* * *

That was how, the next day, Saiou arrived at the station. He came in a taxi, rather than on his motorcycle, so as not to do any damage to the sleek suit he was wearing. With his usual contrariness, he had opted to look as little like a fortune teller as possible, instead wearing dark slacks and an elegantly tailored jacket, along with a serious tie - remnants of his days as the manager of one of the most famous duelists in the world. He had a briefcase with him, too, though the only things it contained were some things he was working on for Pegasus and a paperback novel he'd been reading. It added to the image, though, and the image he wanted today was less "all-seeing mystic" and more "reputable businessman". The former look was fine when he had been a child and earning his pennies telling fortunes for people who actually _wanted_ an all-seeing mystic, but he was going to have to do better than that if he didn't wan the chief of the dueling police to think he was a crackpot with delusions.

He was rather pleased to find that Edo was there waiting, looking pleased to see him. Accompanying him was a sturdily built red-headed man with keen eyes and a heavy jaw. Saiou guessed that this must be the chief.

"Is this your fortune-teller?" the man asked, gesturing at Saiou.

"Something like that," said Edo. "Chief, this is Takuma Saiou, an old friend of mine. Saiou, this is Chief Barnes."

"An honor," said Saiou with a bow.

Chief Barnes looked a bit bemused at this show of courtliness, but he shrugged it off and said, "Come on inside. Did Phoenix tell you what the problem is?"

"The broad outline, but the details be appreciated," Saiou replied, as he followed the two of them into the building.

The chief led them into a private room for interviewing suspects, and they all made themselves comfortable, or as comfortable as they could in the stark surroundings, in the chairs surrounding a scarred old table. Saiou took out his cards and began shuffling them as he listened to Chief Barnes explain the situation to him. His expression remained placid throughout.

"So, I take it that what you wish to know is where these people are hiding now," said Saiou.

The chief nodded. "That, and I'd love to find out how they've been staying one or two steps ahead of us all this time."

"That is actually an easier question," said Saiou. "Cards are better for that sort of thing than at giving directions, but I will do what I can. Would you happen to have a map of the city and its environs? It will make things easier."

"Wait here," Barnes said, and disappeared, reappearing a few minutes later with a map in his hands. It was much folded, and had a coffee ring on one corner. "Will this do?"

"Perfectly," said Saiou.

He spread the map out in front of him, and then spread the cards over top of it. He laid them out in a pattern, studied them a moment, then reshuffled them and did it again. He took a pen out of his pocket and made some marks on the map. The process repeated several times, while his onlookers watched with intent and curious silence. From time to time, Saiou would mutter things under his breath, things like, "East, west, north, south" or "What do you mean by that?" or occasionally a stern "_Behave._" This went on for the better part of an hour, before he finally marked a circle on the map. Then he leaned back in his chair in an attitude of exhaustion, his breathing as though he had just finished carrying a heavy load.

"Do you need a drink or something?" asked the chief, sounding slightly concerned.

"Caffeine would help," Saiou admitted. "I'd prefer tea, but coffee or cola would do. And something with sugar in it."

"I'll get it," said Edo, and disappeared into the hallway.

He reappeared moments later, carrying two cans of soda and an armload of candy bars, which he deposited on the table in front of Saiou.

"Sorry there's no tea," he said. "The only kind they had was the flavored stuff that tastes like lemonade."

"This is fine," said Saiou. He opened one of the drinks and downed it in thirsty gulps. The chief waited patiently for him to finish before he spoke again.

"So, any idea where these guys are hiding?" he asked at last.

Saiou set down the empty can and pointed at the circle he'd drawn on the map, which encompassed a nearby bay.

"They're here, somewhere," he said. "I think there is... a garage of some sort, where boats are repaired. That is where they are now. They think they have escaped you. They are certain that you will not find them again quickly."

"I see," said Chief Barnes slowly, looking at the map thoughtfully. Edo leaned forward to have a good look, too. He was aware of that part of the city; it was fairly run-down, but since he rarely found any duelists there, respectable or not, it wasn't a place he went very often. He had to admit, it would probably make a good place to hide printing equipment. Apparently the chief thought so too.

"A good place for an easy getaway," he was muttering. "Soon as they got wind we were coming, they could pile onto a boat and sail off for almost anywhere."

"One good reason you ought to catch them before they can decide to do that," said Saiou. He had polished off one of the candy bars and started another one while the others had been examining the map, and he sounded almost like his usual self again. "If I were you, I would be very cautious about who you tell when you prepare to leave. Someone in your department is carrying tales."

"Is that a fact?" the chief said doubtfully.

"I couldn't say who, since I am unfamiliar with all of them myself," said Saiou. He finished the candy he was eating and opened the second can of cola, which he sipped at a more decorous pace than the first one. "Given a chance to meet them, I could do better."

"I see," said Chief Barnes. "Do you mind if I talk to Edo for a moment?"

"Be my guest," said Saiou, waving a negligent hand.

The chief stood up and all but dragged Edo out into the hallway. They stood well away from the door to the interview room, where, Edo was quick to note, there was no chance of Saiou overhearing them. He gave his superior a wary glare.

"Well?" he said. "What do you think?"

"I never thought you were the kind to be taken in by a clever fake."

Edo bristled. "Saiou is _not_ a fake."

"I know he's your friend, but open your eyes. He didn't do anything in there that couldn't be showmanship and guesswork. Anyone could look at that harbor and realize it's full of big empty buildings, and if we go there and don't find anything, then obviously it's because they slipped away again."

"But he told you how to stop them from finding out!" Edo protested.

"He jumped to the most obvious conclusion."

"He said he'd tell you who it is..."

"Provided we would let him look at everyone in the department so he could pick someone at random," said the chief. "Sorry, kid, but I think this guy is full of it."

Edo gritted his teeth. "You think wrong. Saiou's genuine."

"Well, he sure hasn't proved it yet."

"Then ask him," said Edo. "Go ask him something he couldn't know unless he were real. Make him prove himself."

"Fine. I will."

They returned to the interview room. Saiou had finished the last of his snacks and now appeared to be dozing in his chair, but he straightened up when they walked in.

"I trust that you feel better now that you have vented about my deficiencies," he said, "but I would appreciate it if, from now on, you would not talk about me behind my back."

The chief had the grace to look guilty. Edo flashed him a smug smile.

"Told you so," he said.

"He could still be guessing," said Chief Barnes, shifting uneasily.

Saiou gave him a long cool stare. "Your name is Anthony Paul Barnes, named after your father's brother. You have a wife and two children, you wanted to be a professional duelist but your wife didn't think it was an appropriate career for a grown man. You had dinner at Ragazzi's Italian Restaurant last night. Lemon chicken with capers. Shall I tell you anything else?"

"Yeah, what color socks was I wearing?"

"What difference does it make? You don't remember," Saiou replied.

Barnes gave a bark of surprised laughter. "Well played."

"So do you admit he's real?" said Edo.

"Well, it's either that or he's a damned good researcher," said the chief.

"Oh, please," Edo said, rolling his eyes. "What does he need to do, hypnotize you and make you do the hula?"

"Don't tempt me," said Saiou. "I've wasted too much energy already trying to get directions out of a deck of cards. I don't have it in me to mind-control anyone right now."

Barnes looked from one man to the other. "He couldn't... you couldn't really..."

"Not at the moment," Saiou said.

"But ask around," Edo added. "Ask Mr. Kaiba. I bet he remembers a few things."

"You don't say," said the chief. "Well... I'll definitely look into that tip, anyway."

"My advice is to prepare as usual, but let it be known that you're not moving out until a few days after you actually plan to leave. Watch to see who makes any extra telephone calls or sends any e-mails."

The chief nodded. "Not a bad idea. Well, I've got to hand it to you - you've got a functioning brain in there. Which is more than I can say for some people."

"You have no idea," Saiou agreed. He yawned, and tried to stifle it. "Excuse me. If you are done with my services..."

"We're done," said the chief. "Go home and take a nap."

Edo laughed. "That's my line."

"I do feel a bit drained," Saiou admitted, and he looked it. Even after his dose of caffeine and sugar, he still lacked energy.

"I'll call you a cab," said Edo.

"No, I can manage," said Saiou.

"I'll do it anyway," Edo replied, in a tone that forbid argument, even if Saiou looked like he was in any shape to argue, which he did not. He meekly submitted to letting Edo lead him out of the building.

"What did you do to yourself, anyway?" Edo demanded. "You're not usually this burnt out after you do a reading."

"I don't usually try to make them give me directions, either," said Saiou as they exited the building. "They're not made for it, and it took a good deal of my power to pry the answers out of them. I'll be all right once I've slept."

"I'll hold you to that," said Edo. "I'll see you at the hotel later, all right?"

"I won't wander off," Saiou promised.

Edo made sure that Saiou was safely ensconced in a cab before he returned to work. Privately, he wished that Saiou could have stayed, but he obviously wouldn't have been good for much of anything until he'd rested up a bit, and possibly had a real meal with some actual nutrients in it. Still, maybe once the chief accepted the idea that Saiou's powers were real, he would be called in more often...

But there were plenty of other things to keep his mind occupied that night. He spent most of his working hours helping his team chase down a small party of Ghouls who had been stealing cards from students at the nearby Duel University. Edo always enjoyed Ghoul-baiting. He didn't even have to disguise himself - he could just stand out in the open simply being himself, and they would come out and find him. The prospect of getting their hands on fabled cards like the Bloo- D always proved too much for somebody, particularly if he feigned reluctance to duel them and let them think he had left the Pro Leagues because he'd lost his knack. They would insist on dueling him, as though that would make a difference whether they were arrested or not. There were few things in life that gave him greater pleasure than using his Bloo-D card to dispense some justice to wrongdoers; it felt as though he were using the card in the way it was truly meant to be used. He imagined his father approved.

It was nearing the end of the night, and he was standing guard as the night's haul was being marched into the station, when he became aware that someone was watching him. He turned around to see that same gangly boy who'd asked about his missing deck earlier.

"Can I help you?" asked Edo tiredly, anticipating annoyance. Why did these people have to show up just at quitting time?

"I was wondering if you'd found my deck yet," he said.

"Not yet," said Edo.

"Oh," said the boy, his face falling. "I heard you'd caught a bunch of people, so I thought maybe you had."

"Well, we haven't finished checking through all their cards yet, so it's possible something will turn up," said Edo, trying to maintain his patience, "but we won't know until we look. If we find your cards, we'll let you know. Okay?"

"All right," said the boy. He hung his head, and then brightened. "Hey, what time do you get off work? Maybe I could get you a cup of coffee or something. I used to be a really big fan of yours..."

He rambled on, and Edo stifled the urge to roll his eyes.

_God save me from idiot fanboys!_ In their own way, they were worse than the girls. The girls fussed and flirted, but they generally treated him as an untouchable idol. Only rarely did they take the notion that just because they knew the rules of dueling, that they were somehow a step away from being Edo's best friend.

"Listen, I'd love to," he said, "but I don't have time tonight. I've got a friend who's not feeling so good and I want to go check on him."

"Oh, yeah, that guy you live with," said the boy. "Okay, maybe another-"

"Hey, you! Pretty-boy!" a voice called, cutting through all the hubbub. "What has a guy got to do to get noticed around here?"

"Who said you're worth noticing?" Edo shouted back, grinning. He thought he'd never been so glad to see Manjoume. He managed to extricate himself from the attentions of his fan with an offhand excuse and went to join his friend. "What are you doing here?"

"Very important business," said Manjoume. "Actually I got called in for legal reasons. Those stupid brothers of mine are trying to implicate me."

"In what?" asked Edo. "You were nowhere near the scene of the crime."

"Who knows?" Manjoume replied. "They just want to make sure that if they suffer, I suffer with them."

"If it's necessary, I'll go to bat for you," Edo promised. "I'll tell them I called you first thing and you didn't know anything about it."

"Thanks," said Manjoume. "I don't think anyone believes them, but you never know."

"Lawyers can do crazy things," Edo agreed. He grinned suddenly. "I guess this means you owe me another favor."

"Hmph," said Manjoume. "And what kind of favor would _that_ be?"

"Well, you do owe me a rematch..."

"I'll take you on any time! I beat you once and I can do it again," Manjoume declared.

"Not tonight," said Edo. "I have things to do." He glanced around and was pleased to find that his fan had taken himself elsewhere at last. Edo made a mental note to keep his eyes peeled in case he showed up again.

Manjoume smirked. "Like what - watching the rest of us on TV while you dream about the days when you weren't washed up?"

"No, no, that comes just under 'trimming my toenails' and just above 'polishing my bowling ball' on my list of things to do," Edo retorted.

"Do you actually _own_ a bowling ball?"

"No," said Edo. "Tells you where you rank, doesn't it?"

"You just keep telling yourself that," Manjoume retorted. "But if you change your mind, I'm going to be playing at the arena all next week. If you turn up, get a message to me and I'll make sure you get a good seat so you can see how a real duelist does it."

"That won't be necessary," said Edo, "but if I think of a friend who could use some lessons in elementary dueling, I'll bring him down to watch you."

Verbally sparring with Manjoume put him in a good mood, and Edo was feeling quite cheerful when he signed out for the day. He was looking forward to the evening, too. His hours were irregular - he generally came when he was called and left when he was no longer needed - and he had gotten off somewhat earlier than usual tonight. He would have more than the usual amount of leisure, and even more so because he didn't have to drive home. Saiou, with his usual foresight, had insisted on taking hotel rooms and returning home the next day, probably anticipating that he would be too exhausted after his tracking exercise to want to do anything but sleep. There was actually still a tinge of light left in the western sky when he arrived at the hotel. Edo took the elevator to his floor and went to see how Saiou was doing.

He found his friend seated on the edge of his bed, combing out his hair. He had changed out of his suit into something more casual, in the form of loose black trousers and a kimono- esque jacket, of the sort he wore when he was planning on spending the day hanging around the house. His eyes were fixed out in middle distance, not registering Edo's entrance. Edo smiled.

"I think your hair is as straight as it's going to get," he said.

Saiou turned dreamily and managed to get his gaze focused.

"I have discovered that repetitive movements are an aid to meditation," he said.

"And that's why you grew your hair out?"

"No," said Saiou. "I grew it out because when I was young, I didn't want to cut it myself, and I had other things to spend my money on. But it is useful when I want to meditate."

"Fair enough," said Edo. "Maybe I'll grow mine out. My consciousness could do with raising."

Saiou laughed. "Far from it. You're sharper than any three people you're likely to meet - and what's more, you know it."

"Present company excepted," said Edo. "Though, speaking of people I'm not likely to meet, guess who I ran into tonight."

Saiou thought about it. "Manjoume Jun."

"No fair - you cheated," said Edo. "But yeah, it was him. He offered me free seats to one of his duels next week. What do you think? Win or lose, he's usually fun to watch."

"I think I would enjoy that," said Saiou. "It occurs to me that it has been some time since I was in a stadium watching the game. To tell the truth, I've missed it more than I thought I would."

"Then we should go. I'll tell him to save a spot for us," Edo replied.

"I will look forward to it," said Saiou. Then he laughed suddenly. Edo gave him a quizzical look.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"It's not funny," said Saiou. "I only just realized... I think this would be the first time you've asked me out on what might be termed a date."

Edo laughed too. "You're right, it is funny." Somehow, the idea of the two of them engaging in the traditional courtship behavior struck him as funny - not to mention superficial. They knew each other too well for the usual posturing and courting. But it _would_ be fun to go see a duel together. And maybe... "Have you had dinner yet?"

"Not yet. I've been dozing most of the afternoon," Saiou replied.

"Well, most of the good places should still be open if you wanted to go get something," said Edo. "We don't get to eat out often enough."

Saiou raised an eyebrow. "Is that your way of saying you don't like my cooking?"

"I'd have to be out of my mind to say that. If I did, you'd make me eat my own," said Edo.

"You're right. That would be very foolish," Saiou agreed. "Very well, then - we will dine out."

He began to stand, and Edo offered a hand to help him. The two of them found themselves standing face to face, only inches apart from each other, so Edo did what seemed to him to be the natural thing and tugged Saiou a bit closer so he could kiss him. They spent a contented moment that way before drawing apart again. Even then, they stood there a moment simply enjoying being close to each other. It was Edo who pulled away first.

"I guess if we're going out, I should get cleaned up a little first," he said. After all, dueling was not always neat work, and he was feeling a bit dusty and sweaty. A quick shower and a change of clothing would do him a world of good. He gathered some fresh clothing from a drawer and began carrying it into the bathroom. As he walked, the sleeve of the jacket he was carrying dragged across the nightstand where Saiou had left his deck, and cards scattered themselves across the table's surface. One fell on the floor, and Saiou went to pick it up.

"Anything important?" asked Edo.

"The six of cups," Saiou answered thoughtfully. His eyes went distant, as they usually did when he was consulting with his cards. "It is usually having to do with memory. Have you forgotten something?"

"How would I know if I did?" Edo retorted.

"A point, I'll grant you," said Saiou. "I suppose it will come to you, if it was important."

"Probably," Edo agreed. Going over the past few hours in his mind, he couldn't think of anything that had happened to him that would merit worrying about. As far as he was concerned, it had been a perfectly ordinary day.

_Saiou's right. It will come to me,_ he decided, and got ready for his shower.

* * *

Several hours later, Edo woke up. He lay still a moment, staring up at the ceiling and listening to the city noises outside the hotel window. Street lights shone dimly through the half-drawn curtains, casting eerie greenish lights and shadows around the room. Edo drank it all in; he may have loved living in Saiou's mountain hideaway, but at heart he was still a city boy.

A glance at the clock told him that it was a bit past three in the morning, but Edo felt wide awake anyway. This was _his_ time, the deep night when no one who was up to any good would be out and about, the time he could do what he did best. Moving very quietly, so as not to disturb Saiou, Edo crept out of bed and began exchanging his pajamas for his daytime clothes. A glance over his shoulder determined that Saiou was still tucked soundly in his own bed, dead to the world - or at least fully occupied with some other one. Satisfied that no one would notice he was missing, Edo quickly tugged the rest of his clothing on and went to retrieve his Duel Disk and cards. He was feeling quite pleased with himself, until he started for the door and realized someone was blocking it. Saiou stood directly in his path with his arms folded across his chest.

"Er... hi," said Edo. "When did you wake up?"

"When I heard you thinking of sneaking off without me," said Saiou. "Going for a late- night stroll?"

"Something like that," Edo agreed.

"Some things never change," said Saiou, shaking his head. "I would have thought you would get enough of that at work."

"I don't get to do it alone, though. I thought it would be fun to go and pick my own targets for a change," said Edo. He hesitated a moment before adding, "I wouldn't mind if you wanted to come with me, though."

Saiou considered a moment.

"You'll have to wait while I change," he said.

Edo grinned. "Fair enough."

A few moments later, the two of them slipped out of the deserted hotel lobby and into the night, Edo in his neat white suit and Saiou dressed in somber blacks and violets. They faded into the night scene like a moonbeam and a shadow.

Edo paused on a corner to glance back at Saiou.

"Which way?" he asked.

Saiou didn't need to be told what Edo was trying to find. He paused a moment, eyes closed in concentration.

"That way," he said, gesturing. "Go two blocks and turn right."

Edo nodded and set out in the direction Saiou pointed him. The directions led him to one of the more business-oriented parts of town, a street lined with shops. It might have made for a pleasant place to spend a day out, but now it was deserted, its windows dark. Occasionally a lone car on its way to somewhere else would pass by, its headlights sweeping over the empty street, but otherwise Edo and Saiou were alone.

Only, they weren't _entirely_ alone.

Edo spotted them first - just a flicker of movement at the edge of the circle of light cast by one of the street lamps. He froze, watching. The building in question was a small game store that sold cards and other toys, and the movement belonged to one of what he now realized was several men, who seemed to be intent on undoing a ventilation grid on the side of the building. Edo grinned.

"Evening, boys," he said, striding into view. "Let me guess - you're the maintenance crew, and you're here working overtime, is that it?"

A flash of shock went across the men's faces, which was all too quickly replaced by vicious grins.

"Hey, look at this," said one of them, elbowing his companion. "The cute widdle kid is out in the scawy dark! Did he get lost?"

"Heh, looks like he's out with his girlfriend," said the other pointing at Saiou.

Saiou tilted his head, looking at the man as though he were a rather interesting specimen, and he was wondering if perhaps this was a new strain of the species.

"I believe this person is a bit confused," he said to Edo.

"Obviously," Edo agreed cheerfully.

"Perhaps I should put his mind into a more ordered state."

"Be my guest," said Edo.

The men looked at each other with disbelief written on their faces.

"Do these guys think they can take us on?" one asked the other.

"No," said Edo. "We _know_ we can take you on. So if I were you, I would pack up my things and go home. I don't have any patience with thieves."

"Oh yeah? Well, we don't have any patience with smart-mouthed little faggots," the man snapped back.

Edo smiled beatifically and spread his hands in a gesture of invitation.

"Have at me," he said.

They rushed him. Edo stood motionless until the last possible moment, then ducked under the first punch thrown at him, darted past the first attacker while he was still looking around in confusion, and drove an uppercut to the jaw of the man behind him, who staggered backwards looking stunned. Edo might have looked small and delicate, but beneath his neatly pressed suit was an athletic body. He'd always taken ruthless pleasure in disproving people who thought that he couldn't fight unless there were cards involved. What he lacked in weight he made up for in speed and accuracy. Now he wove easily amid the larger, heavier men, looking like nothing more than a pale blur.

It didn't take long for people to decide that Saiou looked like an easier mark. It was a fair assumption to make, since he was still standing perfectly still and watching the proceedings with a detached air. However, as they surrounded him, he raised his eyes, which were suffused with an unearthly light. He gave them a smile that would have sent more sensible men fleeing into the night. Even these backed away a little and eyed him warily.

"You were rude to my companion," said Saiou in a tone of deadly calm. "Perhaps you should apologize."

"Like hell we will!"

One of the men finally worked up the courage to come at Saiou, brandishing a knife. Saiou made a quick movement, and the knife leaped out of his hand and sailed across the street.

"What the fuck?" the man exclaimed, staring at Saiou with wide eyes. Saiou simply regarded him calmly.

"That was uncalled for," he said mildly. "I am growing annoyed with you all. Go away."

"Make me," said one unwise person in the group.

Saiou's smile widened. "Very well."

The glow around him intensified, rippling around him like purple flames. The young man he'd been speaking to stiffened suddenly, blinked a few times, then looked around in confusion. With a sudden snarl, he flung himself at his gangmates, attacking them wildly, and everything dissolved into confusion as the rest of the group tried to figure out whether to fight back. Edo used the mixup to dive back into the fray, attacking from behind while they were distracted by their teammate. Saiou added to the chaos by occasionally changing who was attacking who, making allies turn against each other at random intervals. Once he had the hang of that, he summoned the knife he'd tossed away earlier and sent it whizzing around like a particularly large wasp, flicking and prodding at people, leaving thin trails of blood wherever it passed.

It took very little time for the thugs to realize they had chosen the wrong targets. They scrambled and staggered into the night, still looking as though they had no idea what had hit them. Edo laughed as they disappeared. His jacket had gotten torn in the scuffle, and he had a graze across one cheek where someone had almost scored a hit on him. He felt wonderful. As good as it was to dispense justice within the confines of the law, there would always be a part of him that enjoyed the role of the lawless vigilante. He looked to see how Saiou was taking it all, and his breath caught in his throat.

Saiou stood at the center of a nimbus of violet light, in much the same way he had the night he had thwarted the man with the gun. That night, though, his expression had been one of confusion and fear. There was nothing like that tonight. He stood in an attitude of utter self- assurance, aglow with victory, exulting in his power. The look of confidence and savage joy in his eyes made Edo's heart beat faster.

Their eyes met, and for a moment the world seemed to freeze. Edo wasn't aware of crossing the distance between them, but he couldn't possibly miss it when he and Saiou ended up with their arms around each other, kissing each other intently. They had kissed before, but never like this - they had always been gentle with each other, restrained, never pushing or demanding. This kiss demanded, and promised. When Edo finally pulled away, he was panting slightly.

"I think... we need to go back to the hotel," he said.

Saiou looked at him with grave eyes, though there was a flush of color in his cheeks that was usually absent.

"Are you certain that's what you want?" he asked, and Edo was willing to bet that he wasn't talking about the change in geography.

Edo met Saiou's eyes.

"Yes," he said. "I'm sure."

Saiou nodded. "Then we should go."

They went. The two of them hurried through the empty streets, sometimes running as though they feared time would run out before they got there, sometimes slowing to look at each other, to touch each other reassuringly, and then glance away again as self-consciousness overtook them. The reception area of the hotel was empty as they entered it, but they darted through it quickly anyway and slightly guiltily, as though afraid of getting caught. It was only when they reached the safety of the elevator that they kissed again, feeling their hearts racing from the run. When they reached their floor, they parted reluctantly and walked the last few yards down the hall to their room. They slipped inside and closed the door, and there they stopped. The room was empty and quiet. Their breathing sounded unnaturally loud in the silence.

"So... what should we do now?" asked Saiou.

"I guess... um," said Edo, suddenly ill at ease. This had seemed a lot easier when they were still far away.

"You know, you don't have to do this if you aren't ready," said Saiou gently. "I won't be upset if you change your mind."

"No, I'm okay. This is just... different," said Edo.

"It is not so very different," Saiou replied. "We're just getting to know each other a bit better, that's all."

Edo smiled. "You always know the right thing to say."

Feeling somewhat more at ease, he began undoing his shirt. Then he stopped.

"Could you... not watch? It's kind of embarrassing," he admitted.

Saiou obediently turned his back, and Edo, still feeling somewhat awkward, did likewise. He hadn't let anyone see him naked since he was young enough to need his parents to help bathe him, and it felt odd to be so vulnerable, even in front of the one person he trusted most. He took his time divesting himself of his clothing, folding it up neatly so that he would have something to do with his hands besides fidget. When there was nothing more he could do, he turned slowly around again.

Saiou was not watching him. He was looking out the window. Moonlight glittered in his eyes and on his hair, and glowed on his fair skin. Edo was struck all over again at how unearthly he looked, more like some fair creature of the stars than a mortal being. The Saiou turned a little and gave him an uncertain smile, and he was only human again. Edo stepped closer to him and wordlessly took his hands, tugging him gently towards the bed.

They lay down next to each other, with a feeling that was almost like relief, grateful that not even such a small distraction as standing to take their attention from each other. They reached out to touch each other with light, experimental touches, as though they had turned into new beings and were intent on learning the geography of each other's bodies, determined not to let a single detail be overlooked in the dark. Edo felt Saiou's hands run through his hair, felt their fingertips skimming over his cheeks and lips. He let his own hands slide over Saiou's shoulders and chest, gently encouraging him to go further.

"How much do you trust me?" Saiou whispered.

"Completely," said Edo.

"Enough to trust me with your mind as well as your body?"

"With anything."

"Then let me..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but Edo felt a sort of shiver, an electric prickle that ran through every nerve in his body for an instant. He wondered briefly just what had been done to him, but he wasn't worried. He was sure Saiou would do nothing to him that would harm him in any way. He relaxed as Saiou began to run his hands over him again. The touch was light but strangely penetrating: wherever it went, it seemed to sink beneath his skin and linger there, leaving a warm sense of pleasure wherever it went, until every nerve felt charged with it. Edo could feel himself shivering at the intensity of it; his hands clutched of their own accord at the bedsheets.

_Share with me,_ a voice in his mind suggested.

"_Yes,_" Edo whispered.

At his word, his perspective of the world shifted. Everything was suddenly doubled, giving him the disorienting sense of being in two places at once, and he almost panicked before he realized that he was doing just what he'd agreed to: sharing. He was feeling what Saiou felt, and Saiou felt what Edo felt, physically and emotionally. It was like looking into a pair of reflecting mirrors, seeing the image repeated infinitely. The feelings shared between them doubled and redoubled, building off of each other, not only the physical sensations but emotions as well. Bodies and minds intertwined ever more closely until there was nothing else Edo could think of but the dizzy exhilaration of being caught up in such love and joy, and his body trembled with the strain of trying to contain the pleasure that was building inside him until it had to overflow...

Edo finished with a bitten-back cry, and then collapsed against the mattress, feeling both utterly drained and beautifully warm and relaxed. Saiou lay a short distance away from him, breathing heavily, his normally pale skin appearing flushed even in the wan light. For a few minutes, they rested that way, a few inches apart, not touching, re-establishing themselves as two separate people. At length, the languorous haze in Edo's mind cleared a little, and he turned onto his side to gaze at Saiou through half-lidded eyes. Saiou looked back at him, saying nothing, and though their minds were no longer touching, Edo could guess what he was thinking. They had done something that could not be taken back; whatever happened next, they could never again pretend they were just friends. Maybe it had been too much, too soon; maybe it had been the wrong choice; maybe they should have waited.

"Hey, Saiou?" said Edo softly.

"Yes, Edo?"

"Did you know your eyes glow in the dark?"

Saiou was surprised into laughing.

"No, I didn't know that," he said.

"Well, they do."

He reached out to brush a sweaty lock of hair away from Saiou's face, and then let his arm drape around Saiou's chest.

"I want to do that again soon," said Edo. "But not tonight."

"Not tonight," Saiou agreed, smiling gently. "Goodnight, Edo."

"Goodnight, Saiou," said Edo.

The last thing that registered with him was that Saiou was stroking his hair. Then he was asleep, falling deeply into pleasant dreams.

**To Be Continued**


	5. Job Well Done

**Job Well Done**

**By: SilvorMoon**

It was a long time before Saiou finally got out of bed. He was generally not an early riser these days, no matter what the situation, but the unusual exertions of the previous night were telling on him. He wouldn't have been surprised if Edo had bounded out of bed in the morning as energetically as he always did, but he was a natural athlete - you could roll him down a rocky hill in a barrel and he would probably still shrug off his bruises and go on without a pause, but Saiou was of a more delicate constitution, and he was glad to be able to stay in bed.

_I think I have time to stay in town for a while,_ he thought as he began to stir. A glance at the clock told him that he still had a bit of time before he was expected to check out. Even if he took his time about getting groomed for the day ahead, there would still be leisure to do a bit of wandering around the city before he was ready to go home.

Eventually, he was able to persuade himself to get up. A hot shower refreshed him enough that he decided he would walk down to the nearest coffee shop to get a pastry for breakfast rather than trying to subsist on what the hotel breakfast was offering. He had gathered that what they called a "continental breakfast" consisted mainly of a coffee machine and a box of doughnuts. He had decided that next time he would stay in a better hotel. In the meantime, he picked up his cards and shuffled them a few times.

"Now, what do you think I should do today?" he asked them.

He plucked a card at random and studied it. A design of golden coins was spread across its front.

"Pentacles," he said. "Shopping it is, then."

He walked to the coffee shop, picking up a large cup of hot tea and an iced lemon pastry (_much_ better than the stale doughnuts at the hotel) and wandered aimlessly down the street as he enjoyed his snack. It was a pleasantly cool morning, good for walking, so he was happy enough to roam freely. He entertained himself by looking through the shop windows, and occasionally eavesdropping on passers-by, until he was done with his food and drink. Then he decided that the most entertaining thing to do would be to go to his favorite bookstore and perhaps add a few things to his collection before he went home.

He was pleased to find that the store was not crowded that morning, so he could browse at his leisure without anyone getting in his way. He wandered through the aisles, picking up whatever he could find that looked interesting, until he had collected a tidy pile. Even when he had all he was prepared to buy that day, he still felt reluctant to leave, so he wandered idly through the shelves, looking at the titles of books on subjects he normally didn't look at, just to see if any of them looked interesting. There was a whole shelf just on books of dueling, and it occurred to him to look and see if Edo's book was there. He recalled that it had sold fairly well, so there were probably a few copies available now. Even if he already had a copy of his own - signed, of course - it always gave him a glow of pride to see them there.

There were copies left. Someone was reading one.

Saiou began to turn around, thinking to leave the man to his reading, but then he stopped as something caught his attention. It wasn't something that would have registered to anyone else, because there was nothing about the young man that really stood out. He looked like any other college student - jeans and a grubby t-shirt, his hair falling in his eyes in a way that suggested he hadn't seen the inside of a barbershop in a while. He could have been anyone from anywhere, but Saiou knew better.

Most people he met had auras that hummed quietly, a gentle vibration that reminded him of the buzzing of bees. Only a few ever stood out against the crowd. Edo was one - his presence blared out like a silver trumpet. Juudai was another, like a volley of fireworks. But this person was something else, like the slow creaking grind of a glacier, cold and full of hate. Even as realization began to dawn on Saiou, the young man looked up from his book, and their eyes met.

"It's you!" Saiou exclaimed.

There was a flash of recognition in the other man's face, one that held equal measures of panic and victory. Saiou had a sudden nasty feeling. While he was still deciding what to do about it, the man tossed the book he was holding aside and ran out of the store. Saiou chased after him, but only as far as the front of the building, because by that time the other man was already out of sight. Saiou stopped and considered his options.

"Sir?" asked a cashier. "Were you going to buy those books?"

"Hm?" said Saiou, looking down to realize he was still carrying them. He'd forgotten all about them. He handed them back to the cashier.

"No," he said. "I just remembered I have somewhere I need to be."

Then he hurried off, but not to follow the strange man. As much as he would have liked to hunt him down and pick his mind for answers, but there was no time for that now. Edo was in grave danger, and Saiou intended to warn him before it was too late.

* * *

Edo had arrived at work looking, if not completely well-rested, then at least unusually relaxed. One of his co-workers noticed and leered at him.

"You look happy," he said. "Have a fun time last night?"

Edo gave the question his serious consideration before deciding on the most honest and accurate answer: "Mind-blowing."

"Lucky," said the other man enviously. "I guess that's what comes with being famous. I bet you get all the hot chicks. Was she blonde?"

Edo just laughed. "That's an unfair bias. Someone doesn't have to look like a supermodel for me to like them."

"So, what are you saying - you're in love with her mind?"

"Not exactly, but that's close enough!"

"You're a weird guy," said his co-worker, shaking his head. He went back to tinkering with a Duel Disk that was lying on the break room table. "Damn it, this stupid thing just isn't working for me. The boss is going to kill me if I don't have a working disk when I clock in."

"There's a spare in my locker," Edo volunteered. "I don't think it's locked. I never keep anything in there worth stealing, anyway."

"Thanks, man. I owe you one."

He wandered over to the other side of the room to where the staff lockers stood. They were there for the convenience of anyone who wanted to leave personal things there, but Edo rarely used his. After the incident with the Bloo-D, he had a paranoia of having things stolen, and preferred to keep all his valuables on his person at all times. The locker was only ever used as a convenient place for stashing things like spare battery packs for his duel disk and a jacket he had stashed there and forgotten about. It had been weeks since he'd bothered with it. He gave his co- worker a glance over his shoulder before wandering over to the coffee machine to see if there was anything drinkable in it.

The room shook. Edo whipped around in time to see smoke trailing out of his locker and a flurry of debris settling to the floor. His co-worker was lying on the ground with a dazed look in his face, and blood from a large gash on his forehead was trickling blood onto the tiles. Edo swore and rushed over to try to stanch the bleeding.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"What the hell were you keeping in there?" his comrade muttered.

Various others came rushing into the room to see what the cause of all the noise was. Chief Barnes pushed his way forwards.

"What just happened?" he demanded.

"Someone put an explosive in my locker," said Edo tersely, pressing his handkerchief to the bloody gash. "Could someone give this guy a ride to the hospital? I'm pretty sure this is going to need stitches."

"I'm on it," said one of the onlookers. "Come on, Dave, let me help you up..."

Edo backed away so Dave and his friend could shuffle out of the room. Meanwhile, Chief Barnes was inspecting the damage.

"How did this happen?" he demanded.

"How should I know?" Edo retorted. "I haven't used that locker in days."

"Well, someone sure has," Chief Barnes replied. "Nobody touch anything! I'm calling forensics."

Edo obediently backed away, still feeling slightly dazed. Now that the dust was settling, it had begun to sink in that the explosive had been meant for him. His primary reaction was annoyance. Couldn't he even have _one day_ to relax?

There was a noise somewhere outside the room, and someone came and put his head through the door.

"Hey, there's a guy out here making a scene," he said. "What do you want me to do about him?"

"What kind of guy?" Chief Barnes shouted back.

"Tall, really long blue hair, nice suit... I think he's wearing purple contacts or something."

"No, those are real," said Edo. "He's looking for me - I'll go calm him down."

It was a relief to leave the ruined break room and retreat to the relative calmness of the front office. At least, it probably would have been calm if Saiou hadn't been causing a scene there, demanding to be taken to Edo.

"I'm okay, I'm okay!" Edo

Saiou relaxed immediately and gave a sigh of relief.

"I was afraid I was going to be too late," he said. He put his arms around Edo briefly, and Edo let him do it, because if nearly being caught in an explosion wasn't a good reason to let someone hug him, then there probably wasn't such a thing.

"It's okay," he said. "I'm not even scratched. Nothing to worry about."

"Hey, how did this guy know there was an accident?" asked the man who was watching the front desk. Sarcastically, he added, "What is he, psychic or something?"

"Yes," said Edo and Saiou together.

The man at the desk gave them both a puzzled look and went back to work. Edo shook his head at his foolishness.

"Was anyone hurt?" Saiou asked.

"One guy got cut up pretty badly," said Edo. "I was on the other side of the room, so I barely even got my clothes dirty."

"If I'd been here earlier, I could have warned you," said Saiou, "but I got here as soon as I realized something was wrong."

"Then you did the best you could," Edo assured him. He smiled a little. "What happened - were you just late checking the cards this morning?"

As usual, Saiou missed the joke. "I went book shopping, and I met the one who planted the bomb. As soon as I realized what he was thinking..."

"Wait, you _met_ him?"

"Just for a moment. He ran away as soon as he realized I was looking at him. I think he knew who I was."

"Great," Edo muttered.

The chief reappeared looking grim.

"I've got some guys coming up to look at this mess," he said, "but they say they can't promise much. Oh, hey, your friend's here."

"You know this guy?" asked the man at the desk.

"Hell, yeah, I know him," Chief Barnes replied, shooting the receptionist a look. "He's the one who blew the lid off that inside job we wrapped up last week. We never would have caught those counterfeiters if it weren't for him. You weren't giving him a hard time, were you?"

"No sir," said the receptionist, and became very busy with some paperwork.

"Good," said Chief Barnes. He looked back to Edo. "So what's he doing here? Did you invite him again?"

"Saiou got wind of the explosion and came to make sure I was still in one piece," Edo explained.

"Gotcha," the chief replied. "Anyway, Edo... I'm thinking you had better take a couple of days off."

"What?" Edo exclaimed.

"Just until this mess gets sorted out," the chief replied. "Look, that bomb was pretty obviously meant for you. I'm not having any more of my men hurt just because someone out there has a grudge against you."

"Now, wait a minute!" Edo protested. "How do you know it was meant for me? Maybe I was just the only one who left my locker unlocked!"

"Actually, it was definitely meant for you," said Saiou.

"Not helping!" Edo snapped.

"My decision is final," said the chief. "As of now, you're on vacation."

"Great. Just great," Edo muttered.

"Look, we're going to do all we can to catch the guy who did this, but until we at least get some leads..."

"Right, I understand," said Edo glumly. "Come on, Saiou. I can tell when I'm not wanted."

Edo shuffled out of the building, dragging Saiou with him. He knew he was acting like a sulky child, and he didn't care. If there was one thing that he couldn't stand, it was being shunted off to the side when there was danger to be dealt with - he wanted to be able to deal with it head- on. Saiou seemed to sense his mood and followed him in grim silence.

"This has gone far enough," Edo muttered. "I'm not letting this happen again. Saiou, you met the guy - can't you find him again?"

"I would know him if I were anywhere near him," said Saiou. "Other than that, the best I could do would be to give you his general location."

"Never mind, then," said Edo. "We know he's close by. He'd have to be, to know who you are..."

He trailed off, thinking hard. He almost had it.

"Hang on," he said. "I know who he is. It's that guy who keeps pestering about his missing cards," said Edo. "He was here last night. He could have planted the explosive after I went home."

"Not that I doubt you," said Saiou, "but what makes you so sure it was him?"

"Because," Edo replied, "before I left, I said I was going home to check on a friend who wasn't feeling well, and he said something about the guy I live with. Now, how did he know that? It's not like we've been shouting it from the rooftops. It hasn't even made the tabloids yet, and they know everything. So how did he know who I was living with if he wasn't watching me?"

Now Saiou was looking serious. "Show him to me."

Edo obediently turned to Saiou and met his eyes, concentrating on summoning up as accurate a recollection of the young man as possible. Saiou stared levelly a moment, then nodded.

"It's the same one," he agreed.

"Good," said Edo. "At least I know who he is, and he doesn't know that I know."

"I doubt he will show himself again," said Saiou. "Not after he's gone this far. It would be too risky."

"Then we'll find him some other way," Edo replied.

Saiou nodded thoughtfully. "We have items belonging to him - the gun and the threat letter."

"And a list of cards," Edo put in. "He gave it to me the first time he came into the station, and I just shoved it into a drawer and forgot about it."

"We can start by looking at those and see if there is some clue."

"That isn't much to go on," said Edo doubtfully, "but I guess if anyone could find anything there, it would be you."

Despite his confidence in Saiou's powers, Edo didn't feel that the experiment was likely to come to very much. He was in a glum mood as he followed Saiou back to the hotel to gather up his things. They made their trip home in a thoughtful silence. Edo noticed that Saiou kept giving him concerned looks, but Edo wasn't sure he could trust himself to be properly reassuring when he was still simmering with annoyance and frustration. He knew he'd probably end up snapping and snarling, and that would hardly help the situation, so he stayed silent.

When at last they returned home, Edo went to his room to fetch the list. It took him some time to locate it; he hadn't been particularly concerned with keeping it, and it had only survived in his room this long because he wasn't enough of a housekeeper to have bothered throwing it away yet. He finally found the much-abused slip of paper at the bottom of his desk drawer beneath an old dueling magazine and some old receipts from things he couldn't remember buying. He made a mental note to clean up sometime that year, and promptly forgot about it as he turned his attention to the matter at hand. He met Saiou in his study and looked at the articles spread out in front of them.

"It isn't much to go on," Saiou admitted.

Edo was forced to agree. Neither the gun nor the scraps of paper laid out neatly next to it seemed to hold much promise. Nevertheless, Edo dutifully began to study the items laid out in front of him.

"Well, the handwriting matches," he observed, as he glanced at the address on the envelope his threat letter had come in. "He didn't even bother to try to hide it."

Saiou was giving his own critical examination of the gun, no doubt applying his particular talents to the matter. "I would attest that all three of these objects originally belonged to the same person... but I have no way of proving that in a court."

"Doesn't matter," said Edo grimly. "I'll handle it myself if I have to. It wouldn't be the first time."

"Unfortunately, I can't tell much else just from this," Saiou replied. "Other than to confirm what we already knew..."

"Well, I wasn't expecting much," said Edo. He toyed with the paper the threat had been written on, and then glanced down at it. "Hold up a minute..."

Saiou gave him a surprised look. "You found something?"

"Oh, yeah," said Edo. "I think I know where our boy is hiding."

He held up the paper so that Saiou could see the back. There was nothing at all written on it. There was, however, a letterhead stamped across the top.

"Well," said Saiou softly, "that doesn't prove anything, but it might just be a place to start."

"I'm going to make a couple of phone calls," said Edo. "It's been too long since I've said hello to Asuka, don't you think?"

He set the paper down on the desk, facedown, so that the letterhead was facing up. It bore the logo and telephone number of Duel Univiersity.

* * *

But first he had to talk to someone at the station.

It took him some doing to convince the people there that he really did need some images made from the old security tapes from a few weeks back, and even more to figure out which ones they actually were. He probably couldn't have done it if he hadn't been able to muster all of his star power and a certain amount of personal persuasion. Even so, it was still a good two hours before he finally emerged bearing three computer printouts showing the best images they'd been able to capture of the suspect. Once he had safely secured those, he stepped out of the station and took out his cell phone to start looking for Asuka's phone number.

It took long enough for her to answer that he was beginning to wonder if perhaps she had gotten a new number, when the phone was answered by an unfamiliar female voice.

"Hello?" she said.

"Yes, I'm looking for Asuka Tenjoin... Do I have the wrong number?"

"No, she's here. I'll get her." Edo heard the girl's voice, slightly muffled, shouting, "Asuka, phone for you! It's a guy!"

A moment later, Asuka's familiar voice spoke a wary, "Yes?"

"Hi, Asuka - it's me, Edo."

"Oh! Sorry," she said. "I thought you might be Manjoume again."

"Sorry to disappoint you," answered Edo dryly. "Anyway, do you think we could meet up later? I've got some questions I want to ask."

"What kind of questions?"

"Strictly business. There's a crime I'm investigating, and I think the perpetrator might be a guy who goes to your school."

"Oh dear," said Asuka, sounding only mildly perturbed. Edo couldn't blame her; after all, it wouldn't really be the first time she'd gone to school with a criminal. "Well, I'll certainly help if I can."

"I just want to show you his picture and see if you recognize him," said Edo. "If you do, good. If you don't, I'll ask elsewhere, but I thought I'd draw less attention if I talked to you first. I've got pretty good evidence that the guy's been watching me at least some of the time, and the last thing I need is him guessing I'm on to him. A casual visit to an old friend won't stir up suspicions nearly as much as if I turned up on the college president's doorstep and started asking pointed questions."

"How can you be sure you're not being watched now?" Asuka asked him.

"I'm not, but I've got to chance something, don't I?" Edo replied. "Better than sitting around waiting for the guy to pick me off. He's already sent a hitman for me and planted a bomb in my locker."

There was a silence on the other end of the phone, and Edo could imagine Asuka thoughtfully digesting that information.

"I have a class tonight at four," she said. "Can you wait until it lets out?"

"Just name the time. I have a free night," Edo replied, grinning a little. He liked that about Asuka: any other girl would have been panicking, but she took it as calmly as though this kind of thing happened every week and could be repaired by filling out the proper paperwork.

"Seven-thirty? That will give me enough time to get home," she said. "Do you know where I live? I'll give you directions to the dorm."

Edo jotted down the directions. He had been to the university a few times - never as a student, but he'd been invited to give demonstrations and speeches a few times. The dorms remained a mystery to him, however, and he was more than happy to have Asuka tell him what direction to take. He agreed to meet her in the front lobby of the freshman dorm, and from there they could find a private-seeming place where they could talk.

"I won't be late," Edo assured her. "By the way, one more thing - do you mind if Saiou comes with me?"

There was another pause at that question, not a pleasant one, and Edo had to stifle the urge to sigh. In his mind, Saiou and the Light of Ruin were two such different entities that he could easily imagine one without the other, but the distinction wasn't so clear in the minds of some of those who had been drawn into the Society of Light. He wasn't sure they would ever be as comfortable in Saiou's company as he was. Of all the old crowd, only Juudai seemed to be able to tolerate Saiou's company and treat him like an old friend.

"I suppose it would be all right," she said at length. "Just as long as he behaves."

"Saiou," said Edo, with a hint of a reprimand, "_always_ behaves."

Asuka laughed. "All right, all right. I'm sorry. Of course Saiou can come. I'll see you soon, all right?"

"See you," Edo agreed.

True to his word, at approaching seven-thirty that evening, Edo and Saiou walked slowly through the gates of the stately Duel University. The compound was an oasis in the midst of the gray city: a sprawling and elegantly landscaped collection of handsome buildings and tree-lined paths. At the places where the paths intersected stood statues of notables in dueling history - Yugi, of course, and also Kaiba and Pegasus. Edo wondered briefly if someday any of his friends would end up being represented here. Juudai would be a prime candidate if someone could get him to stand still long enough to pose for one.

"Excuse me," he said to a young woman passing by with an armload of books, "could you direct us to the women's dorm?"

"That way," she said, pointing down one of the paths. "Turn left when you get to the fountain and look for the building with a Petit Angel statue in front."

"Thanks," said Edo. He flashed the girl a winning smile before setting off in the direction she had indicated.

"I could have found out for you," said Saiou as they walked away.

"I know," said Edo, "but it's better to give people the option of telling. Besides, it probably made her day to have a famous duelist ask her for directions."

Saiou smiled a little at that. "Well, that's so."

They found the building exactly where the girl said it was. It was a pleasant-looking place, with lots of ivy-covered red brick and handsome white columns in front. A front porch, deserted at the moment, had a row of rocking chairs where students might sit to enjoy the fresh air. Edo walked up to the front door and tried the handle, but for all the building's old-fashioned appearance, it had a thoroughly modern lock on the door, and it refused to let him in without a passcard.

"Looks like we're in for a wait," said Edo. "It's probably not worth trying to hack our way through a computerized lock when Asuka's bound to come along sooner or later."

"It would make an interesting headline if you were caught," Saiou commented. "_'Ex- Pro League Duelist Breaks into Girls' Dorm.'_"

Edo raised an eyebrow. "I can never tell if you're joking or not."

Within a few minutes, Asuka came hurrying up the walk, clutching a notebook and looking slightly flustered.

"Sorry I'm late," she said. "The professor's talk ran long."

"That's fine," said Edo. "We didn't have a long wait."

"Anyway, won't you come in?" she said politely, moving to unlock the door. Edo noticed that she wasn't quite looking at Saiou, but he let it slide.

They stepped inside the building. Edo looked around curiously - he had never been inside either of the dorms. He privately hoped that the boys' dorm looked better than this one, because otherwise he was very glad he hadn't decided to continue with his dueling education. Not that the place was bad, but it was hardly to his taste. There was a lot of chintzy furniture in the lobby, and shelves with doilies and displays of dried flowers. The whole thing was far to folksy for his taste.

"It's not really my taste," said Asuka apologetically. "The suites are better."

"I would hope so," Edo agreed.

She led the way upstairs to a hallway lined with doors, all of which had been decorated with nearly everything that could be conceivably put on a door. Most of them had construction- paper nametags taped to them, probably by a well-meaning resident assistant at the beginning of the year, now faded and bent and half covered with other decorations. The one Asuka led them to had a whiteboard scribbled with notes ("That guy called again" "Who borrowed my green notebook?" "Gone out - don't wait up!") and magazine clippings of current Pro League champions. Edo noticed that Ryou, Shou, and Manjoume were featured prominently and couldn't help grinning a little. Asuka unlocked the door and ushered them into a kind of sitting room. Two other girls were sitting at a coffee table and taking notes on a recording they were watching. Both of them glanced up as they heard the door open.

"Hi, Asuka," one of them chirped. "More guys? You have so many admirers!"

"Hey, isn't that Edo Phoenix?" said the other.

"That's right," said Asuka mildly. "This is Edo Phoenix and Takuma Saioh. They went to school with me for a while. They're here for a visit."

"And official police business," said Edo, flashing his badge, just so no one could even begin to get the idea that he might want to date Asuka. He admired her as a duelist and respected her as a person, but as far as romance went, he was perfectly content with what he had. "I'm working on a case, and I wanted to ask her a few questions."

The girls' eyes widened.

"She isn't being investigated for something, is she?" asked one of them.

The other girl slapped her shoulder. "No way! Asuka would never do anything like that!"

"She's not in any trouble," Edo assured them. "I'm just collecting information, that's all. All the same, I'd be happier if you didn't listen in."

"Oh, all right," said one girl. "Come on, Mina. Let's go to the arena, huh? Maybe there'll be someone looking for a pickup duel."

"Maybe," said Mina doubtfully. She gave Edo a searching look. "You're sure you're not just trying to be alone with Asuka?"

Edo gave her a long slow glare. "If that's what I wanted, why do you think I brought him? To guard the door?"

"Oh come _on_, Mina," said the girl's friend, and forcibly dragged her out of the room. Edo sighed.

"How do you deal with them?" he asked.

"They're not all bad," she replied. "Actually they remind me of Momoe and Junko sometimes. My old school friends," she added, at Edo's blank look. "So, anyway, you wanted to ask me something?"

"Yes, I was hoping you could take a look at these pictures and tell me if this guy looks familiar to you," said Edo, proffering her the printouts.

Asuka took the papers and looked them over one by one, her brows contracted slightly in concentration.

"Yes, I know him," she said. "At least, I've met him. He was in a couple of my history and theory classes, but we didn't really talk to each other. He even asked me out a couple of times, but I always turned him down. His name was, um... Andrew? Adrian? Aaron, that's it. Aaron Sandsmark... But he can't be trying to hurt you. He's a big fan of yours! He watched all your duels on TV. He even took an internship on a stadium crew so he could be at your last duel."

Saiou and Edo exchanged glances.

"You mean," said Edo, "the duel where the electrical system mysteriously malfunctioned in such a way as to nearly burn me to a crisp?"

Asuka flushed. "Well, maybe so."

Edo nodded and made a note in a small notepad he'd produced from his pocket. "Anything else you can tell us about him?"

"Not very much. He was always very... reserved. Standoffish, like there was someplace he would rather be. He never seemed to have any friends, probably because he didn't duel very much. He seemed more interested in the historical side of the game."

"And no one thought this was suspicious?" said Saiou, raising an eyebrow.

Asuka shrugged. "We all just thought he was a loner, I guess. It's not as though he ever caused any trouble, and he really wasn't the only one who came here to study theory instead of practical dueling. There are a lot of people here who think they're going to be the next Pegasus Crawford and discover some ancient relic that will change the face of dueling."

Saiou and Edo exchanged glances.

"He was interested in the occult?" Saiou prompted.

"Well, I'm not sure. Maybe a little," said Asuka. She looked thoughtful for a moment, seemingly trying to spur her memory. "He did a project about some of the really legendary cards for one of our classes - cards like the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and the Black Magician. I remember him complaining later on because he got a low grade on it. He was really angry. There was something about a theory he had that some cards like that are really dangerous and shouldn't be allowed to be played. I'd never seen him so worked up - that's why I remembered."

Edo's eyes narrowed slightly as he listened to this excitement.

"That's got to be it," he said.

Saiou nodded. "It has to be."

"What?" Asuka asked. "What did I say?"

"Legendary cards," said Edo. "The Bloo-D. I don't know what exactly it is yet, but there's got to be a connection there somewhere. It was even in that letter he sent me - a sheet of paper with 'BLOOD' written across it."

"But why chase you?" asked Asuka sensibly. "You're hardly the only person in the world with a legendary card. Why not send threats to Kaiba Seto or Mutou Yugi? Or any other famous duelist, for that matter, who has a rare and powerful card in their deck."

"Maybe he did," said Edo, "and we never heard about it. A famous guy like Kaiba is bound to have to deal with a lot of crackpots, so what's one more? And Yugi... well, even if you wanted to send him a threat, where would you send it? Nobody ever seems to know where he is for three days straight. But I'm retired from dueling - pretty famously retired, thanks to all the press - and I pretty much stay in one place. I haven't got a bunch of receptionists and managers and things to manage my mail for me and insulate me from the nutcases out there. All I've got is Saiou, and while he does a good job keeping an eye on me, I still must look like an easy target to an outsider."

Saiou listened to this monologue without comment, but he looked unconvinced.

"That can't be all of it," he said. "For one thing, the first attack came while you were still technically in the Pro Leagues. Anyone who is brazen enough to start an electrical fire during a professional duel isn't the type who would choose his victims on the basis of who is easy to reach and who isn't. Besides," he added, "this has the feel of something personal."

"What would the guy have against me? I'd never met him before, until he showed up talking about his cards being stolen," said Edo.

There was a moment of silence. Then Saiou said. "Maybe it's not what he has against _you._"

"Huh? But if he hasn't got anything against me, then why..." Edo began, and then stopped. His eyes widened suddenly. "Of course! Why didn't I see it before!"

"Could someone explain it to me?" asked Asuka politely. "I seem to have missed one or two little details."

"Oh, right," said Edo. In the excitement of puzzling everything out, he had all but forgotten she was there. "Saiou's been working on trying to find out where the threat is coming from in his own way, and what he came up with was that DD was involved somehow." He decided not to drag in the details of how they'd learned that; thinking about talking to DD's ghost _still_ gave him the chills. "Try this on for size: the last time I saw DD alive, he boasted that he'd been using the Bloo-D card in secret duels. It's pretty obvious that whoever he dueled came to a bad end. So suppose someone he harmed had a son or a brother who witnessed one of these duels. Maybe he was too scared to tell anyone what he saw; maybe nobody believed him. Suppose he decides that when he's grown up, he's going to find the person with that Bloo-D card and punish him. But by the time he's old enough to really _do_ anything, DD's disappeared off the face of the earth, and the card belongs to some other guy..."

"So you think he's trying to kill you to get revenge for something DD did?" asked Asuka. "That's crazy."

"It has been my experience," said Saiou, "that persons willing to commit murder are generally not the sanest."

"Well, that could be true," Asuka allowed. "But it's still a big jump to get to a conclusion like that."

"And that's why we need to find this guy and get some information out of him," said Edo. "I don't suppose you would be willing to give us a hand, would you?"

"That depends," said Asuka, "on what it would entail."

"Well, you did say he asked you out once or twice, right?" said Edo. "Tell him you've got some free time one night and convince him to come to some prearranged place where I'll be waiting to nab him."

"That sounds risky," she said. "What if he fights back? Someone could get hurt."

"Nobody's going to get hurt," said Edo. "If the guy knew how to fight in the first place, he wouldn't be bothering with all this hiding in the shadows and leaving booby-traps for me. Besides, I'm a professional; I do this kind of thing all the time. And Saiou will be there. He can stop somebody cold with a look if he has to."

"I suppose so," said Asuka, giving Saiou an evaluating look. "So all I'd have to do is ask him to come to my room or something, and you'd take care of the rest?"

"Absolutely," Edo declared. "It'll be a sting just like a million others that I've done."

"All right. As long as you're _sure_ it's safe," said Asuka. "When should we do it?"

"The sooner the better," said Edo.

"How about Friday? That would be the best time to arrange a date," she said, "and my roommates are going to be out so we'll have the room to ourselves and no one will be suspicious."

"Perfect," said Edo. "What time?"

"That depends. How long do you think it will take?"

"Not long. A half-hour at the outside. You get him in the door, I grab him and cuff him and read him his rights, and I hustle him down to the police station. The trick is just to catch him unawares so he can't sneak off."

"If that's the case," said Asuka, staring up at the ceiling as she made mental calculations. "Six o'clock should be good enough. Any sooner than that and my suitemates might still be here. Just don't show up late, either."

"I won't," Edo promised. "I wouldn't leave anyone alone in a room with a killer - even an incompetent one."

"No, it's not that," said Asuka. "It's just that I have a date that night. It _is_ Friday, after all."

Edo laughed. "All right, then. I can understand that. I'll try to be here on time, then."

Having reached a satisfactory arrangement, the three of them said their goodbyes, and Edo set off with a light heart. It felt very good to have a name to put to his own personal lurking menace, to know where he was and to have an idea of why he was doing what he was doing. Edo did not like mysteries; that was one of the reasons why he liked Saiou's company. Saiou's ways of doing things may not have been scientifically explainable, but they did at least give him a way of finding out things that would have ordinarily baffled him. As far as Edo was concerned, everything was back on track again. A glance at his companion, however, told him that Saiou might not feel the same way.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," said Saiou. "Something doesn't quite feel right."

That gave Edo pause. If Saiou said something didn't feel right, it meant that something probably wasn't right. "What kind of something?"

"I don't know," Saiou admitted. "It just feels as though we're moving this too quickly. And I don't like getting Asuka involved. This isn't her fight."

"She agreed to it," said Edo, but without much conviction. Using other people in his plan didn't sit very comfortably with him, either, but he knew perfectly well that Asuka was a strong- minded woman who could handle herself in a crisis. If she didn't feel able to deal with the situation, she wouldn't have had anything to do with it.

"I just can't help thinking that you're being reckless," said Saiou. "I don't like it when you're being reckless."

"I'm just doing my job," said Edo. "It involves taking risks sometimes. Now, let's hurry and get home. We've got a few days to prepare, and we've got to make sure our evidence is airtight so nobody will get on my case when I drag the guy in and book him."

Saiou nodded, still not looking entirely convinced.

"Look," said Edo, "I'll tell you what. Check your cards and see how it'll all turn out. If it says I'm making a mistake, I'll call Asuka and call the whole thing off."

"Very well," said Saiou.

He paused in walking long enough to take his deck out of his pocket. Somewhat to Edo's bemusement, he walked over to a nearby bench and began spreading out cards.

"I meant for you to do it when we got home," he said.

"Why not now?" asked Saiou, sounding somewhat distracted. "This won't take long."

He finished laying everything out and studied it seriously. Edo fidgeted, pacing back and forth while Saiou contemplated the lines of Fate. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore.

"What do they say?" he asked.

"Hm?" said Saiou distractedly. "I'm not certain. I'm getting conflicting signals... There's something here about making a mistake, something being overlooked somehow... but it says it's all going to come out right in the end."

"Then that's all right," said Edo. "If your cards say it's going to come out right, I believe them."

"I suppose I must believe them as well," said Saiou reluctantly. "Maybe I'm just being overprotective. I liked it better when you had a squad of people to fall back on in case something went wrong."

"I'll have you," said Edo. "I'd rather have you on my side than a whole platoon of policemen."

"Don't think me more than I am," said Saiou, but he was pleased by the compliment anyway. "But you know more about this kind of thing than I do, so I will trust your judgement."

"Naturally," said Edo. "Leave it all to me."

* * *

The next several days were nervous ones for Edo. He invested most of his energies into trying to find more information on his suspect, hoping to make a better case when it came time to bring in his capture. Saiou helped him from time to time, but for the most part, Edo was content to work on his own and let his partner take care of his own work. All the same, he suspected that Saiou was as glad as he was when the hour finally arrived.

Asuka was waiting for them on the doorstep, looking anxious.

"Hurry, hurry," she told them. "I want to get this over with, and I'm worried he might get here early."

"_You_ want to get this over with?" said Edo, but he followed her in anyway.

"He seemed really eager," Asuka told him. "It's a little creepy, really. I think he should be locked up just for that."

"I'll add it to his rap sheet," said Edo.

She let them into her room and all but pushed them inside. Edo glanced around, evaluating the place not from a visitor's point of view, now, but with an eye towards how defensible it would be. The room that the front door led to was a large sitting area with a selection of comfortable furnishings and a good-quality entertainment system. Not a lot of hiding places, Edo noted, unless he wanted to rearrange the furniture. Would that create suspicion?

"Where do these doors go?" he asked, indicating a door on either end of the room.

"There are more rooms through there," Asuka explained. "There's a little hallway on each side that leads to two bedrooms and a bathroom on either side."

"Perfect. Then I'll use this door and Saiou can have that one," said Edo. "Asuka, when he gets here, see if you can coax him away from the door and make sure it's closed behind him. I don't want to make it easy for him to slip away."

She nodded. "I suggested that since he knew a lot about history, he ought to help me with the paper I'm doing." She indicated an enormously thick book that was lying open on the coffee table, along with a scattering of papers and writing utensils.

"Perfect," said Edo. "We'll just let him get involved in that so he's not paying attention to what's going on around him..."

"As long as you know what you're doing," said Asuka. She settled down at her coffee table, presumably so that she would look convincingly busy when Aaron showed up. Or perhaps she just wanted to make wise use of her time - Edo wouldn't have put that past her. He and Saiou went to their hiding places and settled down for a wait.

As it happened, there was no reason for Asuka to have hurried them. It was a good ten minutes before Aaron himself finally arrived. Edo tensed as he heard the knock on the front door, and resisted the temptation to open his own door a crack to see who was coming. He told himself sternly that he must do nothing that would attract attention.

"Come in!" Asuka called.

Edo heard the sound of an opening door, and then footsteps falling quietly across the carpeted floor.

"Thanks for inviting me over, Asuka." That, at least, was the voice Edo remembered. He smiled a little, pleased to have his guess confirmed.

"Thanks for coming," Asuka replied. "I appreciate the help. I'm just a little writer's- blocked on this paper. I could really use someone to bounce ideas off of."

"What have you got so far?"

"Well, the paper is on reflections of the roots of the Duel Monsters game in other cultures - working with the theory that other societies played a variation of the game. I've got the European angle covered, I think, but I'm having trouble finding research on Asian societies..."

Edo tuned out the rest of the talk, concentrating instead on the sounds of the two of them getting settled in. How long was long enough? Five minutes? He decided to make it ten. Asuka would probably be annoyed, but it was better than jumping the gun. He counted off the seconds, gauging the right moment to strike.

Saiou, meanwhile, was feeling anxious. He felt out of place in a situation like this - direct confrontations were not his forte, and the dark aura radiating from the newcomer was making him nervous. It didn't matter that this Aaron person was talking about nothing more threatening than a few dry facts about dueling history. The mind that Saiou felt was as dark as it had been when Saiou had encountered it in the bookstore, perhaps even more so, since it was obvious that the plan he had been hatching last time had failed. There was no knowing what he would plan next...

For most people, anyway. For Saiou, it was a little more difficult to see through a closed door, but he could manage.

A moment, later, he sent out an inquisitive thought: _Edo?_

_Yeah, Saiou?_

_He knows we're here._

There was a brief flurry of emotion on the other end of the connection, before Edo got himself under control again. _How could he know? We didn't tell anyone but Asuka, and she wouldn't tell anyone..._

_No, but apparently the girl you stopped and spoke to told all her friends that she gave directions to a famous duelist..._

_Oh, great. Now what are we going to do?_

_You're the expert._

Saiou felt more than heard Edo's sigh. _We can't just leave Asuka like this. She can't keep acting forever. Besides, her date is going to show up any minute now. We don't have time to fool around. Whether he knows we're here or not, we still can't get out of this dorm without getting past him. We're just going to have to go ahead with it. Can you keep him under control if he gets violent?_

_Maybe,_ Saiou said doubtfully. _I can plant suggestions in people's minds, but I can't force anyone to do anything that is completely outside their nature._

_Then convince him he'd rather taunt me a bit before he kills me. Delay him._

_I'll try._

_Good,_ Edo replied. _I'm going in._

_I'm not sure I like the way this is going..._ Saiou began, but Edo wasn't paying attention to him anymore. Saiou sighed, hoped for the best, and opened the door.

He was just in time to see Edo burst in from the other side, holding his taser in his most threatening fashion.

"All right," he said calmly. "Fun's over. You're under arrest. I'll read you your rights while we're waiting for the police to come pick you up. Are you going to come quietly, or are am I going to have to drag you kicking and screaming?"

There was a moment of silence - calculating silence, Saiou decided, as the other young man sized up whether or not Edo was serious about physically dragging him out. Even with Edo standing and Aaron seated on the floor, it wasn't hard to tell that the other man was several inches taller and several pounds heavier than Edo. All the same, Aaron was a gawky looking thing, more bone than muscle, and Saiou would have placed bets on Edo's ability to fold the other man up and pack him into a suitcase.

All the same, Aaron did not look as intimidated as he might have.

He certainly didn't look pleased at having been discovered, but it was the look of a teenager confronted by his parents after he has come home twenty minutes after curfew - somewhat dismayed at being caught but still convinced that he can fast-talk his way out of it somehow.

"I'm not going anywhere with _you_," he said, spitting out the word like a curse.

"Yeah, well, sucks to be you," said Edo. "If you aren't coming voluntarily, we'll do it the hard way."

He started to take a step forward, but Aaron made a clumsy move and took something from beneath the front of his jacket. It was gray-black and boxy and looked a lot more threatening than Edo's stunner. Asuka gasped and jerked away from it, and Edo took a cautious step backwards.

"That's right," said Aaron. He was trying to sound like the tough guy from a movie, but his voice cracked with nervousness. "I knew you were going to be here, so I'm ready! I came here to kill you!"

"Forget it," said Edo. "It's not going to fix anything."

"Yes, it will! It'll stop you from using that card!"

"What card? The Bloo-D!"

"Yes! That thing is evil!" said Aaron, wild-eyed. "I saw it kill my brother!"

"I know," said Edo. "The guy who used it to kill your brother was the same bastard who used it to kill my father. I know better than anyone what it can do. But I'm the only one who can keep it under control, so I have to keep it."

"I don't believe you!" Aaron snapped. "No one in their right mind would keep something like that around. You're just some kind of freak. You pretend to be such a good guy in public, but you're not fooling me!"

"You're being an idiot," said Saiou crisply. He sincerely doubted that Aaron was going to listen to reason - or anything else, really - at this point, but Saiou wanted the attention turned away from Edo if at all possible. "Edo is a better man than you'll ever be."

"You shut up too," said Aaron. "You're a bigger freak than he is."

Saiou could feel his eyes flashing. There were few ways more certain to make him angry than to start calling him a freak. For a moment, he was overcome with the urge to seize this person's mind and twist it into knots no psychologist in the world could unravel. He even reached out to try it, but the wall of darkness his questing thoughts met was enough to make him recoil again. Great as his powers were, there was very little he could do with a mind that was so thoroughly steeped in pain and anger. All he could see in the man's surface thoughts were a heady sense of finally having the person he had been hunting in his grasp, coupled with the knowledge that he had the tool in his hand that could kill him. All that was holding him back was the tenuous sense that to pull that trigger would mean murdering another human being - to bring himself, in a way he couldn't quite articulate, to the level of his imagined enemy.

"The sooner I get you out of the world, the better off we'll all be," said Aaron, his attention back to Edo again.

_You don't want to kill him yet._ Saiou sent the thought as persuasively as he could. _You're not ready. This isn't the right way to do this. Back down, rethink this, find some other way. This isn't really what you want to do..._

"But I don't want to kill you yet," said Aaron.

Saiou felt a wave of relief wash over him. He hadn't really believed that he could sway someone so determined...

"That would be too easy," Aaron continued. "I'm going to make you watch your friends die the way I had to see my brother die."

Saiou had just enough time to register Edo's eyes widening, and guess that he was about to say something, before a blast of sound drowned out everything else. Saiou staggered backwards as something struck him in his shoulder.

_I should have been expecting that,_ he thought numbly. Then the initial shock wore off, and he began to realize that he _hurt_, and it was hard to think about anything else.

"You bastard! I'll kill you for that!" Edo shouted. "I'll tear you apart with my bare hands!"

He made a lunge at Aaron, who jerked the still-stunned Asuka in front of him and pointed the gun at her head.

"One more move like that and she gets it, too!" Aaron shouted back, his voice rising to something like hysteria.

Edo backed away. "Leave her alone. She's got nothing to do with this. I barely even know her!"

"She's a witness, now. She can't tell anyone what she's seen."

"I won't tell!" Asuka protested.

"I have to make sure," said Aaron. He began backing away from Edo, drawing Asuka along with him. "Her first, then you."

Edo kept his eyes fixed on the wild-eyed gunman... or, perhaps, on something just beyond him. Some of his panic seemed to have ebbed, replaced by a look of desperate hope.

"Okay, I get it," he said. "Just one thing you need to think about first."

"Huh?" said Aaron.

A voice behind him said, "What were you planning to do about me?"

Aaron started to turn around, and in that moment of distraction, Edo lunged and wrenched the gun out of Aaron's hand, while the man who had just walked in through the door struck Aaron very hard over the head with the heavy book Asuka had been studying earlier. Aaron fell to the floor in an ungainly heap, out cold. Asuka surveyed her erstwhile captor for a moment before looking up at her savior.

"You," she declared, "are late."

Manjoume gave her a pained look. "Don't I get bonus points for saving your life?"

"Maybe a few," she allowed.

Edo wasn't paying attention. He was attending to Saiou, who was trying to sit up. He was clutching at his injured shoulder. Blood seeped between his fingers and stained his dark shirt black.

"I'm all right," he insisted. "It just hurts, that's all."

"You need a doctor anyway," Edo said, as he fumbled a handkerchief out of his pocket and began tying it around Saiou's wounded shoulder with shaking hands. Saiou, still half in shock, reflected that he'd never seen Edo with his hands shaking before. "Dammit... Saiou, I'm sorry."

"I told you this was a bad idea."

"I know you did. I should have listened to you... I was just so sure..."

"That you knew what you were doing, yes."

Edo gave Saiou a glare. "Have I told you lately that mind-reading is seriously annoying?"

"I don't read your mind. That part was just obvious," said Saiou. "But you will listen next time, won't you?"

"Yeah. I'll listen. I promise."

"_Ahem,_" said Manjoume. "Are you two going to sit there and talk about your feelings all night? Because I thought I heard something in there about needing a doctor, so you might want to do that. Also, could someone tell me just what the hell is going on?"

"I'll explain it later," said Asuka.

"I'll call a cab," said Edo.

"Call an ambulance," Manjoume suggested. "But first, what do you want to do with this guy? I could hit him with the book some more, if you want." He looked hopefully at Aaron's still figure, obviously not convinced that just one strike was enough for threatening Asuka.

"You can do whatever the hell you want to him," said Edo, as he began digging out his cell phone. "Throw him out the window, for all I care. I've got a call to make."

"Wait," said Saiou. "I have a better idea..."

His eyes met Edo's. Edo seemed to consider for a moment, then smiled slowly.

"You're right. That's exactly what I should do," he said. He turned and offered the phone to Manjoume. "Here. Change of plans. _You_ call the ambulance. I want to have a talk with our friend here."

"Hey, I already saved your bacon once tonight. The way I see it, all debts are paid. Make your own damned phone call."

"I'll do it," said Asuka, taking the phone. As she dialed, she said to Manjoume, "Why don't you take care of Saiou while I take care of this?"

"...You know what? I'd rather make the phone call."

"Too late."

"I'm fine," Saiou insisted weakly, though the grayish tinge to his skin belied his words.

Manjoume sighed. "You're bleeding on the rug. Sit still and lemme see if I can..."

He began trying to staunch Saiou's wound, and Saiou flinched away.

"That hurts!"

"Duh, it's a bullet wound. Of course it hurts. Hold still!"

Saiou meekly held still and let Manjoume work. Satisfied that Saiou was in safe hands and that help would be there for him soon, Edo walked over to the still unconscious Aaron. He prodded him with a foot.

"Hey, you, wake up," he ordered.

Aaron moaned and twitched a little.

"I said, wake up," Edo ordered. "We've got some talking to do."

Aaron's eyes blinked open. What he found upon awakening was Edo kneeling over him, pointing his gun at his forehead. He yelped and began trying to scramble away.

"Not so fast," said Edo. "You're not going anywhere."

"What are you going to do to me?" asked Aaron, eyes wide.

"Nothing."

"What?"

"I'm not going to do anything to you," said Edo. "Not one single thing. The way I see it... right now you're completely in my power. I could do anything I wanted with you. I could beat the crap out of your I could blow your brains out or I could shove you out the window and let you become a smudge on the pavement, and no one in this room would say a word against me if I did. I've got enough proof to show that you've been trying to kill me - no one would find it hard to believe I was just defending myself. But I'm not going to do any of that. I don't have to."

"Why?" It was plain that Aaron was trying to sound defiant, but his voice shook. "Are you going to get one of your creepy friends to do it instead?"

"No. Nobody's going to do anything to you," Edo said. "We are going to sit here and wait for the authorities to arrive, and you will be delivered to the proper authorities and given due trial. I won't lay a hand on you. Neither will anyone here."

"Why?" asked Aaron suspiciously.

"Because," said Edo, "at the end of the day, that's not how I operate. My job is to bring the badguys to justice, not to use them as my personal punching bags. I don't see any reason why I should break my code of honor for someone like you. I'm not going to stoop to your level. You, however, just shot an innocent man who has never done you any harm, whose only crime was to be my friend, just because you wanted to get revenge on me for something that somebody else did. _That's_ why I'm not going to hurt you. The way I see it, anything I could do to you would hurt a lot less than for you to be left in peace to think about what you've turned into."

And with that, he got up and stalked away, leaving Aaron stammering incoherent protests.

"I don't think he believes you," said Manjoume.

"No, but it might give him something to think about," Edo replied. "Move. I'll take over from here."

"Great," said Manjoume. "I had plans for tonight anyway. If the mood is totally ruined, I'm going to blame you."

"Yeah, that's probably fair," Edo admitted. "Thanks, Manjoume. I owe you one."

Manjoume looked uncomfortable. "Eh, well... you earned it for getting those brothers of mine thrown in jail. Just next time..."

Edo found that he could smile. "Next time, don't pull something like this on a night you've got a date."

Asuka shut the phone with a click.

"An ambulance is on the way," she announced. "Also the police. I thought this was something they should know about." She gave Manjoume a significant look. "They're probably going to want to question us."

"But... what about...?"

"We'll just have to go a bit later than we planned," she said sensibly.

"It probably won't take long. It usually doesn't," said Edo.

"I had reservations," Manjoume grumbled, but his heart wasn't in it.

Edo just shook his head and declined to comment, choosing instead to investigate Saiou's makeshift bandages to see if the bleeding was slowing any. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear the reassuring sound of sirens drawing nearer.

"You sure you're going to be okay?" Edo asked him gently.

"I'll be fine," said Saiou drowsily. His strength was running low. "I'm just glad you're all right..."

Edo swiped irritably at his suddenly blurry eyes. "I'd be happier if you were okay, too... Saiou?"

"Yes?"

"I'm never taking you on one of these missions again."

Saiou laughed softly. "I'll object to that once I'm feeling better. I'd hate to miss out on everything."

"Object all you want - I'm not letting you do it!"

"If I hadn't been here, you would have been killed..."

"If you hadn't been here, I wouldn't have assumed you'd protect me from everything. I would have been more careful."

Asuka cast a look at the both of them from where she was in the process of helping Manjoume tie Aaron's wrists and ankles with a couple of belts borrowed from Asuka's wardrobe.

"I think we should bring him outside so we can meet the police," she said to Manjoume.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just leave him here?"

"No," she said, tilting her head towards Edo and Saiou. "I really think we're all better off going _outside._"

"Huh?" said Manjoume, and then, "Oh!"

"I told you they were both freaks," Aaron muttered sullenly.

"Can I please hit him with the book again?" asked Manjoume.

"No," said Asuka. "Let's just gag him."

There was a small scuffle as the two of them did what they could to make their captive shut up. Edo didn't pay any attention to the noise. All of his attention was caught up in talking to Saiou, trying to keep him awake and responsive, as the shadows danced around the room from the flashing lights outside...

* * *

Needless to say, Mizuchi had been seriously displeased at discovering her brother was in the hospital. Edo was suitably meek as he listened to her chastise him for his general recklessness, and agreed with everything she said, but it still took her the better part of an hour to finish haranguing him. Saiou, whose health had never been the best, remained in the hospital for several days until the doctors were convinced that he was healing properly. Once Edo had been sufficiently chastised that Mizuchi trusted him to be in the same room with her brother, he divided most of his time between keeping Saiou company at the hospital and wrapping up the case of Aaron Sandsmark. It went surprisingly smoothly: between the evidence of the two guns and various documents with Aaron's handwriting on them, plus the testimony of Manjoume, Asuka, and Saiou, the case leveled against him was tight enough that his lawyer had persuaded him to confess. His hate-filled and rambling diatrabes were duly noted down to be used as court evidence.

Edo supposed he should be happy about that. He considered that idea as he lay awake in Saiou's bed, eyes closed, listening to the world coming alive outside his window. It was hard to work up a lot of enthusiasm over putting someone like Aaron in jail.

_Okay, so I got rid of the guy who wants to kill me. Great. But still..._

Edo quietly arose from the bed, careful not to disturb Saiou, who was still deeply asleep next to him, and walked over to the window to push the curtains aside. Far down in the valley, he could dimly see the shimmer of the city. Somewhere down there were thousands of people going quietly about their daily lives... and, he thought, a handful of troublemakers looking to spoil it for the rest of them. So he'd taken one of them - one of the most incompetent of the lot - off the streets. What about the ones who were left? They still needed taking care of.

Edo smiled. It was nice to feel he was still needed.

_I didn't do a very big thing. It wasn't to protect myself that I got into this business - it was to protect everyone else._

He walked back over to the bed and sat down next to Saiou, gently running his fingers through his lover's hair.

"Come on, wake up," he said. "We've still got lots of work to do."

****

The End


End file.
